Kerri Fitzgerald

DocwireNews

Specialist breast cancer nurses frequently engage in difficult conversations with their patients, including discussions about recurrence risk and treatment. A patient&rsquo;s Oncotype DX Breast Recurrence Score&reg; may have implications for treatment options, benefits and risks chemotherapy, and patient well-being and lifestyle. A study that will be presented at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium discussed the use of an education program to help specialist breast cancer nurses improve this communication with patients.This six-hour communication workshop included two didactic presentations. The first highlighted data underpinning Oncotype DX&reg; risk scores and cutoffs; the second highlighted the psychology of risk, including activities pertaining to numeracy, communication, and uncertainty tolerance. Participants were divided into small groups in which they watched one of two videos depicting oncologists discussing with patients their recurrence score results; the nurses were then able to meet the simulated patient who was now in the clinic one week after the discussion and wanted to continue the conversation about their test result. The nurses filled out 11-item pre- and post-workshop questionnaires to gauge their self-confidence in facilitating these conversations.Overall, 69 specialist breast cancer nurses took part in the workshop, all of whom had significant and positive improvements in all 11 issues identified on the questionnaire. Attendees found the workshops informative (9.6/10), useful (9.5/10), and enjoyable (9.6/10); 99% of attendees would recommend it to their colleagues.&ldquo;Nurses can play an important role [in] helping patients&rsquo; decision-making; they are also usually fearful of role-play, but most found the innovative practical sessions especially helpful,&rdquo; the authors concluded. &ldquo;Our results showed that improved self-confidence, a key element required to lead to a transfer of communication skills into a clinic setting, was achieved in this six-hour workshop.&rdquo;

MarkAlain Déry, DO

Eric Griggs, MD

Measles in America: An Ongoing Problem

Infectious Disease

Roger Rodby, MD

Joel M. Topf, MD, FACP

Seldin Award Winner Advocates Online Education

NKF Spring Clinical Meetings 2025

Hatem Soliman, MD

The Future of Dendritic Cell Vaccines in HER2+ Breast Cancer: Toward De-Escalation of Chemotherapy

HER2 Breast Cancer

Latest News

An Education Program Helps Nurses Talk to Patients about Oncotype DX Breast Recurrence Score®

San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium 2019

Specialist breast cancer nurses frequently engage in difficult conversations with their patients, including discussions about recurrence risk and treatment. A patient’s ...

About Us

Editorial Policy

Advertising

Contact Us

eNewsletters

Contribute

Career Center

MashupMD

Blood Cancers Today

Cancer Nursing Today

GU Oncology Now

Urban Health Today

Bile Duct Cancer

Colorectal Cancer

Gastroesophageal Cancer

Gastric Cancer

GEP-NETs

GIST

Liver Cancer

Pancreatic Cancer

GI Oncology Now

Anemia

Deep Vein Thrombosis

Essential Thrombocythemia

Hemophilia

Immune Thrombocytopenic Purpura

Myelodysplastic Syndromes

Myelofibrosis

Myeloproliferative Neoplasms

Polycythemia Vera

Pulmonary Embolism

Sickle Cell Disease

Thrombocytopenia

Thrombophilia

Thrombosis

Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura

Venous Thromboembolism

von Willebrand Disease

Heme Today

Acute Kidney Injury

ADPKD

Anemia and Kidney Disease

Chronic Kidney Disease

COVID-19 and Kidney Disease

Diabetes and Hypertension

End-Stage Renal Disease

Gout

Hyperkalemia

IgAN

Kidney Transplantation

Metabolic Acidosis

Nephrology Times

HR Breast Cancer

Triple-Negative Breast Cancer

Genetics & Breast Cancer

Breast Cancers Today

Atherosclerotic Disease

Atrial Fibrillation

Heart Failure

Hypertension

Interventional Cardiology

Lipid Management

Practice Tips With Dr. Lichaa

Preventive Cardiology

Stroke

Cardiology

Breast Cancer

Gynecologic Cancer

Head and Neck Cancer

Skin Cancer

Oncology

Sleep

Urology

Diabetes

Ophthalmology

— Demodex Blepharitis

Neurology

Rheumatology

Gastroenterology

Pulmonology

Infectious Diseases

— HIV

Health and Wellness

Lupus

Future of Medicine

Orthopedics

Pharmacology

Career News

More

Conferences

CardioNerds

The Sleep Source With Dr. Morse

Rheumatology Rounds With Dr. Maheswaranathan

Partners

Expert Interviews

Subscribe