Every Month is
Cancer Awareness Month
Early-Stage Breast Cancer Patients Lack Knowledge; May Not Receive Treatment
They Prefer
According to the results of a new study published in the January 2012 issue of the Journal of the American College of Surgeons, many early-stage breast cancer survivors lacked knowledge about their disease and were not meaningfully involved in treatment discussions or asked their preferences regarding the approach to treatment. As a result, the study's investigators determined that there is a need for improvements in the quality of the surgical decision-making process for these patients.
The retrospective study sought to evaluate the quality of the decision-making process regarding the options for surgical treatment. The "quality" for early-stage breast cancer patients in this study was defined as the degree to which a decision was informed and consistent with patient preferences. Although several other studies have found knowledge gaps and identified specific patient concerns that affect decisions about breast cancer surgery, this is the first study that attempted to examine how often treatments actually reflect patient preferences.
To read the complete article or for more information about the study,
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A new analysis has found that breast cancer survivors may experience problems with certain mental abilities several years after treatment, regardless of whether they were treated with chemotherapy plus radiation or radiation only. Published early online in Cancer, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, the study indicates that there may be common and treatment-specific ways that cancer therapies negatively affect cancer survivors' mental abilities.
To read the complete article, or for more information about the analysis,
Click Here.
Breast Cancer Survivors Struggle With Cognitive Problems Several Years After Treatment