Guidelines

Welcome to the Guidelines Hub

ESCP aims to establish high quality international guidelines for the treatment of diseases within its scope, using the best available evidence. By providing this guidance, ESCP hopes to improve the outcomes such as recurrence of disease, complications, symptoms and patient satisfaction.

In 2017 ESCP established its Guidelines Committee, whose members have already collaborated in the production of several published guidelines.

The processes and methods are informed by internationally recognized criteria of quality of guidelines.

Below are projects that the Guidelines Committee and colleagues are currently working on.

Gene and gender guidelines (GGG) for colorectal cancer
Protocol: evidence and consensus follow-up after primary colorectal cancer
Protocol for the development of a core outcome set (COS) for haemorrhoidal disease
Guideline regarding treatment of haemorrhoids
Guideline on the use of mesh in the pelvis
Guideline on transanal total mesorectal excision
Diverticulitis

Gene and gender guidelines (GGG) for colorectal cancer

The steering committee includes: Andy Latchford, Ashish Sinha, Gabriela Möslein, Gareth Evans, Pal Moller and Toni Seppälä.

Initially the focus of this group has been to examine and review existing data on MSH2 and MLH1 (Toni Seppälä) and MSH6 (Mev Dominquez). Future considerations will include PMS2 (Mev Dominquez) and the prospective Lynch syndrome database (PLSD). The group is working towards 'Guidance' statements and aim to hold a Delphi consensus process in Nice 2018.

Protocol: evidence and consensus follow-up after primary colorectal cancer - an analysis of existing guidelines in Europe

The steering committee includes: Ida Jakobsen, Pieter Tanis, Søren Laurberg and Vivian Bastiaenen.

Relevant analyses have been performed for guideline and a draft manuscript has been circulated within the group for initial consideration.

Protocol for the development of a core outcome set (COS) for haemorrhoidal disease: an international Delphi study

The steering committee includes: RR van Tol, J Melenhorst, CD Dirksen, LPS Stassen and SO Breukink.

This group have developed a COS which can be used in future studies evaluating treatment for haemorrhoidal disease. Use of this COS will improve the quality and uniformity of future research and enhance evidence synthesis. They have recently submitted the manuscript ‘European Society of Coloproctology (ESCP) Core Outcome Set (COS) for Haemorrhoidal disease: An international Delphi study’ for publication in Colorectal Disease.

Guideline regarding treatment of haemorrhoids

The steering committee includes: RR van Tol, SZ Kuiper, AJM Watson, J Jongen, DF Altomare, N Qvist, T Higuero, J Muris, SO Breukink, J Kleijnen.

This group has been formulating recommendations based on the GRADE process. Meetings to date have produced review questions and a subsequent literature search has been carried out. Currently they are writing recommendations and have a proposed guideline date in December 2018.

Download: The development of ESCP's Guideline for Haemorrhoidal Disease (PDF)

Guideline on the use of mesh in the pelvis

The steering committee includes: Y Maeda, PA Lehur, L Lundby and C Vaizey.

Within this project there are four sub-groups working on different themes of the guidance:

Use of mesh in relation to perianal reconstruction - Leaders: Professor E Espin and G van Ramshorst, G Norcic
Use of mesh for full-thickness rectal prolapse - Leaders: Professor R. O’Connell and T. Rautio
Use of mesh for obstructive defaecation - Leaders: Professor PA Lehur, K. Gorissen, M. Kim, I. Negoi, B. van Geluwe
Use of mesh for all the other indications (fistula/sphincter repair) - Leaders: Dr Lundby, D Pares, C Vaizey, A Warwick

The four groups are currently working to collate the evidence using GRADE methodology.

Guideline on transanal total mesorectal excision

This group, led by Danilo Miscovic and Roel Hompes, held their 4th meeting during EAES in London. They are working on guidance statements based on four themes:

Indications - Chair: Mark Katory
Training and Implementation - Chair: Juriaann Tyunman);
Technique - Chair: Walter Brunner
Quality - Chair: Felix Aigner

The wider group have agreed draft guidance statements for two of the four themes (Indications and Training and Implementation) and have decided not to pursue guidance at this stage for technique but rather to follow this up through research. They have conducted three online surveys and will be convening at the annual conference in September in Nice to finalise the draft guidance statements for the first two themes.