Variation in 'standard care' for breast cancer across Europe: a EUROCARE-3 high resolution study.

On a population-based sample of 13,500 European breast cancer patients mostly diagnosed in 1996–1998 and archived by 26 cancer registries, we used logistic regression to estimate odds of conservative surgery plus radiotherapy (BCS+RT) versus other surgery, in T1N0M0 cases by country, adjusted for age and tumour size. We also examined: BCS+RT in relation to total national expenditure on health (TNEH); chemotherapy use in N+ patients; tamoxifen use in oestrogen-positive patients; and whether ⩾10 nodes were examined in lymphadenectomies. Stage, diagnostic examinations and treatments were obtained from clinical records.