Advertisement

Navigators Should Make Women Aware of Breast Density’s Effect on Cancer Risk

AONN+ Blog published on December 12, 2016 in Breast Cancer
Lillie D. Shockney, RN, BS, MAS, HON-ONN-CG
Editor-in-Chief, JONS; Co-Founder, AONN+; University Distinguished Service Professor of Breast Cancer, Professor of Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine; Co-Developer, Work Stride-Managing Cancer at Work, Johns Hopkins Healthcare Solutions

Despite research being conducted and confirmed on the significance of breast density, most women don’t know that having dense breasts increases their risk for breast cancer and reduces a mammogram’s ability to detect cancer, according to a University of Virginia (UVA) School of Medicine study.

A random phone survey of 1024 Virginia women ages 35 to 70 years, conducted by the UVA Center for Survey Research, found that only 1 in 8 women were aware that breast density is a risk factor for breast cancer, whereas 1 in 5 women knew that dense breasts reduced the sensitivity of mammograms to find tumors.

 


 
Related Articles
‘Tis the (Vaccine) Season: COVID, Flu, and RSV Vaccines for Navigators & Their Patients
Lillie D. Shockney, RN, BS, MAS, HON-ONN-CG
Navigation & Survivorship News published on September 20, 2023 in Insights into Navigation
Three vaccines are being recommended this year: COVID, flu, and RSV. Each vaccine has its own unique considerations that both navigators and patients should be familiar with. Read on for a breakdown of each vaccine along with tips on how navigators can set the best examples for their oncology patients.
Partnering With Home Healthcare Nurses to Address Our Patients’ Unmet—or Undiscussed—Needs: What Nurse Navigators Can Learn from Home Healthcare Nurses
Lillie D. Shockney, RN, BS, MAS, HON-ONN-CG
Navigation & Survivorship News published on August 22, 2023 in Insights into Navigation
Every member of a patient’s treatment team hopes their patient is in a clean, safe environment that enables them to stay on treatment and promote general well-being. Unfortunately, this isn’t always the case. Home healthcare nurses can see things that patients didn’t reveal themselves—maybe they simply forgot to mention something, or they were embarrassed to do so. Read on to learn the value of partnering with home healthcare nurses to best address your patient’s unmet needs.
Influenced Decision-Making: The Considerations Patients Weigh Amidst Selecting Treatment
Lillie D. Shockney, RN, BS, MAS, HON-ONN-CG
Navigation & Survivorship News published on July 26, 2023 in Insights into Navigation
The decisions our patients make about their treatment are deeply personal. They might select one treatment plan over another based on how they process information, their experiences with cancer, and their life goals. Lillie shares a few recent examples of the decisions her patients have made that are both in line with and against their treatment team’s suggestion.