Health & Medicine International panel recommends new model for breast cancer care
| International panel recommends new model for breast cancer care |
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| Thursday, April 19, 2012 | |
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As the number of breast cancer survivors increases, now estimated at 2.8 million, more will be living with the chronic effects of cancer treatments or with advanced disease. An international panel of experts, including a UNC School of Nursing faculty and UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center member, was convened by the American Cancer Society to review current practices and to make recommendations to improve surveillance and rehabilitation of breast cancer patients and survivors and published their results in the April 15, 2012 issue of the journal Cancer. Deborah K. Mayer, PhD, RN, AOCN, FAAN, explains, “Our current model is to treat breast cancer and then monitor for possible disease recurrence and resolution of any side effects of treatment. As more women are surviving breast cancer, they are living with a range of physical issues that may affect them long after therapy. Our panel developed models for rehabilitation and surveillance to identify and address these physical issues as part of the continuum of care.” For full release |