Establishing a breast clinic in a developing country: effect of a collaborative project

This paper describes a project funded by DFID (Department of International Development of the United Kingdom) for the establishment of breast clinic in an oncological center in a developing country, Sri Lanka. In Sri Lanka the commonest female cancer is breast cancer, with an incidence of 7.7 per 100,000. The project utilized a link with an existing breast clinic at the Royal Marsden UK. The principal methods used for establishing the clinic included, assessment of possible barriers by the exchange of senior staff, the development of guidelines, and regular review of progress by both link partners. As a result of these interactions, the first breast clinic in Sri Lanka was established. In has shown results in an increase in the pick up rate of new patients with breast cancer.