The information in the breast cancer information centre is based on the Cancerbackup booklet, Understanding breast cancer, which has been produced in accordance with the following sources and guidelines:

• Improving Outcomes in Breast Cancer – Guidance on Cancer Services. National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE). August 2002.
• Guidelines for Surgeons in the Management of Symptomatic Breast Disease in the UK. Breast Surgeons Group of the British Association of Surgical Oncology. May 2005.
• Familial Breast Cancer. The classifications and care of women at risk of familial breast cancer in primary, secondary and tertiary care. National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE). October 2006.
• Management of Breast Cancer in Women (publication 29). Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN). January 2006.
• Walker L et al, Psychosocial oncology services for women with breast cancer, Trends in Urology, Gynaecology and Sexual Health, Mar/Apr 2003.
• The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) website: www.nice.org.uk
• The Scottish Medicines Consortium website: www.scottishmedicines.org.uk

Guidelines are constantly being updated and those noted above may have been revised since the booklet was produced. You can access up-to-date guidelines in the health professionals section of the website.