ESGO Certification for Ovarian Cancer Surgery

Certification Cost

There is a nominal administrative fee of 500 EUR due from the applicant centre.

Besides, a formal acceptance and commitment to fund up to 650 EUR (based on the travel expenses of the expert), a random full-day audit that might be necessary in exceptional cases.

Application Review Process

After checking, the application is submitted to a jury (3 members, rotating every 2 years) outside the country of applicant institution.

As the maximum score is 40, centers meeting 80% (score 32) of the maximum score are proposed for certification to the ESGO Guidelines, Quality Assurance and Recommendations Committee then the ESGO Council, which makes the final decision.

Certification is valid for 5 years, subject to renewal as a result of maintenance of the standards.

Certified centers commit to provide every year an update of the above-mentioned figures. The process of renewal of certification is conditional to yearly transmission of the figures to the ESGO Guidelines Secretariat.

In general, centers scoring less than 28 will be rejected. Centers with self-assessment score 32 or more, but with discordant information, or centers with 28-31 (between 70% and 80% of the maximum score) score can resubmit after at least one year.

Centers of Excellence Award

Some high volume and high quality certified centers can in addition apply for the «center of excellence» award.

The role of centers of excellence is to highlight the ESGO quality assurance program, to offer education aimed at improving quality in non certified centers, and in provisionally certified centers, to offer complementary education to relatively low volume certified centers, and to set the basis for a European network of centers of excellence. They make the core of the certification jury.

The criteria defining a center of excellence are: 

• certified center, with an accredited ESGO fellowship program,

• performing ≥ 50 stage III-IV cytoreductive complete surgeries per year,

• actively participating in at least one trial in ovarian cancer,

• having published in a peer-review journal at least three papers on ovarian cancer per year authored by a gynaecological surgical oncology member of the team during the last three years including at least one paper as first or last author over entire period,

• optionally, having a basic research program and a biobank facility.

The founding centers of excellence are the centers represented within the International Development Group which meet the standard. After the creation of the jury made of the founding centers of excellence, later applications from certified centers will be reviewed by the jury.

The award will be delivered by the Guidelines, Recommendations and Quality Assurance Committee of the ESGO.