The Recommendations are based on Statements of Evidence on the use of hypofractionated radiotherapy for the treatment of early (operable) breast cancer. Practice points are also provided to help guide clinical decisions for the use of hypofractionated radiotherapy for the treatment of early (operable) breast cancer. Practice points are based on expert opinion when the evidence to make a recommendation is insufficient or where the evidence is outside the scope of the systematic review.
All Recommendations have been graded using the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) FORM methodology.8,9 The NHMRC grades (A-D) assigned to the recommendation given are intended to indicate the strength of the body of evidence underpinning the recommendation (refer to Table 1). Appendix 1 provides further detail of the NHMRC FORM grading methodology and the process undertaken in the grading of all Recommendations contained in this guideline. See also Appendix 2 for Evidence Statements for Grading the Recommendations.
Table1: Definition of NHMRC grades of Recommendations8,9
| Grade of recommendation | Description |
|---|---|
|
A |
Body of evidence can be trusted to guide practice |
|
B |
Body of evidence can be trusted to guide practice in most situations |
|
C |
Body of evidence provides some support for recommendation(s) but care should be taken in its application |
|
D |
Body of evidence is weak and recommendation must be applied with caution |