The ESMO guideline strategy: an identity statement and reflections on improvement

Guidelines should provide recommendations on the optimal management of a patient in specific clinical circumstances based on the scientific evidence. ESMO, as Europe's leading society in medical oncology produces a range of guideline products in order to assist the cancer specialist towards implementation of quality cancer care, as well as in order to provide information to patients establishing standards for up-to-date optimal management. The ESMO 'guideline products' include the Clinical Practice Guidelines, the complementing Consensus Conferences on focused clinical scenarios, as well as memory tools such as print and e-Pocket Guidelines and Patient Guides. In this manuscript, methodology, design and characteristics of the ESMO guideline products are explained and discussed by their strengths and weaknesses, opportunities and threats in order to stimulate reflections on room for improvement and future strategy.