What Are the Ethical Implications of Understanding and Treating Breast Cancer?

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary Ann G. Cutter
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Informed Consent ◽  
Cancer Care ◽  
The United States ◽  
Breast Cancer Patients ◽  
Breast Cancer Care ◽  
Ethical Implications ◽  
Personalized Approach ◽  
Limit Access

Philosophically speaking, the question “What are the ethical implications of understanding breast cancer?” raises a host of issues, including informed consent, risk assessment, and access to breast cancer care. What we find is that, initially, there are adequate guidelines for informed consent, adequate efforts to develop risk assessment measures, and a decent level of access to breast cancer care in the United States. But things can be improved from an ethical standpoint. Upon reflection, the informed consent process would benefit from a more explicit discussion of uncertainty in breast cancer medicine and the ways breast cancer patients make decisions about their care. Risk assessments would benefit from a more personalized approach. Access to breast cancer care could be improved by continued studies of the diverse forces that limit access to proper breast cancer care.

Breast Cancer Care: Developments in 1998

1998 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 338-345
Author(s):  
John Horton
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Cancer Care ◽  
Metastatic Breast ◽  
The United States ◽  
Axillary Node ◽  
Standards Of Care ◽  
Sources Of Information ◽  
Breast Cancer Care ◽  
Mortality And Morbidity ◽  
American Society

Background Breast cancer is a significant cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide, although death rates in the United States and some other countries are beginning to fall. Methods Several sources of information in 1998, including publications and presentations at the 1998 meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, are pertinent to contemporary breast cancer care. Results It is now possible to prescribe hormonal therapy that will reduce the incidence of breast cancer. Methods are available to reduce the morbidity from axillary node dissection, and improvements in adjuvant therapy and management of metastatic breast cancer are now at hand. Conclusions The information presented provides a broad-based platform for new standards of care for breast cancer that will serve as a sound base for further progress in this important disease.

Breast cancer: Global quality care

2019 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Best Practices ◽  
Cancer Care ◽  
Care Pathway ◽  
Health Care Systems ◽  
Quality Care ◽  
Breast Cancer Patients ◽  
Breast Cancer Care ◽  
Global Quality ◽  
Care Systems

Caregivers delivering care to breast cancer patients wish to provide the highest quality breast care possible. Due to the complexity of the care pathway, this care should be delivered by a multidisciplinary team working in a breast cancer unit/centre. This book was written by experts from different disciplines and presents ideas for developing a breast unit wherever you live. The authors provide thorough descriptions of high-quality breast cancer care, define targets, methods to assess one’s care, and ideas on how to improve care within one’s resources. A global view of the quality of breast cancer care shows specific best practices applicable to many centres operating in various health care systems with different financial and political situations. Foundation hallmarks of innovation, communication, patient-centred care, multidisciplinary, and budget considerations guide specific recommendations for each component of care. This book discusses global and local considerations so that optimally ‘integrated’ breast cancer care can be organized. Each component of care (e.g. imaging, surgery, etc.) is discussed from both theoretical and practical aspects. The recommendation for each component of care is facilitated by experienced experts laying out rational and practical approaches to each step. This book provides guidance how to integrate the different disciplines into breast cancer care. Beyond treatment, it provides practical considerations regarding accreditation and certification, and it comments on the influence of budget and of treatment. Finally, it demonstrates how best practices may be altered by the emerging involvement of patients, technologies, and transitions of future societal values.

Understanding Disparities in Breast Cancer Care in Memphis, Tennessee

2018 ◽  
Vol 84 (5) ◽  
pp. 620-627 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elena P. Lamb ◽  
F. Elizabeth Pritchard ◽  
Simonne S. Nouer ◽  
Elizabeth A. Tolley ◽  
Brandon S. Boyd ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Confidence Interval ◽  
Cancer Patients ◽  
Cancer Care ◽  
White Women ◽  
Clinical Stage ◽  
Breast Cancer Patients ◽  
Breast Cancer Care ◽  
Black Patients ◽  
White Patients

Although significant progress has been made in improving breast cancer survival, disparities among racial, ethnic, and underserved groups still exist. The goal of this investigation is to quantify racial disparities in the context of breast cancer care, examining the outcomes of recurrence and mortality in the city of Memphis. Patients with a biopsy-proven diagnosis of breast cancer from January 1, 2002, through December 31, 2012, were obtained from the tumor registry. Black patients were more likely to have advanced (II, III, or IV) clinical stage of breast cancer at diagnosis versus white patients. Black breast cancer patients had a two times higher odds of recurrence (95% confidence interval: 1.4, 3.0) after adjusting for race and clinical stage. Black breast cancer patients were 1.5 times more likely to die (95% confidence interval: 1.2, 1.8), after adjusting for race; age at diagnosis; clinical stage; ER, PR, HER2 status; and recurrence. Black women with stages 0, I, II, and III breast cancer all had a statistically significant longer median time from diagnosis to surgery than white women. Black patients were more likely to have advanced clinical stages of breast cancer at diagnosis versus white patients on a citywide level in Memphis. Black breast cancer patients have higher odds of recurrence and mortality when compared with white breast cancer patients, after adjusting for appropriate demographic and clinical attributes. More work is needed to develop, evaluate, and disseminate interventions to decrease inequities in timeliness of care for breast cancer patients.

Quality of care for breast cancer patients in Japan: An analysis of the Japanese Breast Cancer Registry

2009 ◽  
Vol 27 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. 6547-6547
Author(s):  
H. Mukai ◽  
T. Higashi ◽  
T. Iwase ◽  
T. Sobue
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Cancer Patients ◽  
Cancer Registry ◽  
Cancer Care ◽  
Breast Cancer Patients ◽  
Breast Cancer Care ◽  
Recommended Care ◽  
Adherence Score ◽  
Breast Cancer Registry

6547 Background: In Japan, growing concern that patients do not receive optimum care led to the enactment of the Cancer Control Act in 2006, which mandates the government to undertake initiatives in ensuring the quality of cancer care. Here, we evaluated the current status of breast cancer care in Japan using process-of-care quality indicators (QIs) for breast cancer care. Methods: Combining clinical evidence and expert opinion, we developed 45 QIs covering the continuum of breast cancer care from initial evaluation to follow-up. Each QI describes standards of a particular aspect of care, and its score is calculated as the percentage of applicable patients who received the recommended care (adherence score). Of the 45 QIs, 7 could be scored using data in the Japanese Breast Cancer Registry, which covers about 40% of all Japanese breast cancer patients and has been continuously maintained since 1975. Results: The study population included 15,227 patients registered by 224 facilities in 2005. On average, patients received 72.1% of recommended care. However, substantial variation in adherence was seen across QIs (21–98%). Adherence score was less than 85% in five of seven QIs. Variation across facilities was observed in six QIs. Conclusions: The quality of breast cancer care in Japan has room for improvement in many aspects of care. Although the amount of data in the cancer registry suitable for quality assessment is limited, it is useful in detecting quality problems. [Table: see text] No significant financial relationships to disclose.

Implementing value-based cancer care: A multidisciplinary approach to defining breast cancer outcomes.

2016 ◽  
Vol 34 (7_suppl) ◽  
pp. 16-16
Author(s):  
Oluwadamilola M. Fayanju ◽  
Tinisha L. Mayo ◽  
Tracy E. Spinks ◽  
Seohyun Lee ◽  
Carlos Hernando Barcenas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Performance Improvement ◽  
Cancer Care ◽  
Treatment Options ◽  
The United States ◽  
Multidisciplinary Teams ◽  
Patient Portal ◽  
Breast Cancer Patients ◽  
Patient Centered ◽  
Patient Reported

16 Background: Value in healthcare (patient-centered outcomes achieved per dollar spent) unifies performance improvement goals with health outcomes of importance to patients. We describe the process through which value-based measures for breast cancer patients and dynamic capture of these metrics via our new electronic health record (EHR) were developed at our institution. Methods: A review of the breast cancer literature was conducted on treatment options as well as expected outcomes and potential treatment complications. Patient perspective was obtained via focus groups. Multidisciplinary teams met to inform a 3-phase process of (1) concept development, (2) measure specification, and (3) implementation via EHR integration, planned for spring 2016. Results: Outcomes were divided into 3 previously defined tiers (NEJM 2010; 363:2477-2481) that reflect the entire cycle of care (Table).Within these tiers, 22 patient-centered outcomes were defined with inclusion/exclusion criteria, specifications for reporting, and sources for data including the EHR and validated patient-reported outcome questionnaires (e.g., FACT-B+4) administered via our patient portal. Conclusions: A value-based approach to cancer care with transparently reported patient outcomes not only creates opportunity for performance improvement but also enables benchmarking within and across providers, healthcare systems, and even countries. Our value-based framework for breast cancer is the first of its kind in the United States, with a similar model being pursued internationally as well. [Table: see text]

scholarly journals Evaluation of the Quality of Adjuvant Endocrine Therapy Delivery for Breast Cancer Care in the United States

JAMA Oncology ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 3 (7) ◽  
pp. 928 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bobby Daly ◽  
Olufunmilayo I. Olopade ◽  
Ningqi Hou ◽  
Katharine Yao ◽  
David J. Winchester ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
United States ◽  
Endocrine Therapy ◽  
Cancer Care ◽  
The United States ◽  
Adjuvant Endocrine Therapy ◽  
Breast Cancer Care ◽  
Therapy Delivery

scholarly journals Wait times for surgical and adjuvant radiation treatment of breast cancer in Canada and the United States: Greater socioeconomic inequity in America

2009 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 239 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kevin M Gorey ◽  
Isaac N Luginaah ◽  
Eric J Holowaty ◽  
Karen Y Fung ◽  
Caroline Hamm
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Socioeconomic Status ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Cancer Care ◽  
Radiation Treatment ◽  
The United States ◽  
Historical Study ◽  
Adjuvant Radiation ◽  
Breast Cancer Care ◽  
Socioeconomic Inequity

Purpose. The demand for cancer care has increased among aging North American populations as cancer treatment innovations have proliferated. Gaps between supply and demand may be growing. This study examined whether socioeconomic status has a differential effect on waits for surgical and adjuvant radiation treatment (RT) of breast cancer in Canada and the US. Methods. Ontario and California cancer registries provided 929 and 984 breast cancer cases diagnosed between 1998 and 2000 in diverse urban and rural places. Residence-based socioeconomic data were taken from censuses. Cancer care variables were reliably abstracted from health records: stage, receipt of surgery and RT, and waits from diagnosis to initial and initial to adjuvant treatment. Median waits were compared within- and between-country with the non-parametric Mann-Whitney U-test. Categorically long, age-adjusted wait comparisons used the Mantel-Haenszel chi-square test. Results. There were significant associations between lower socioeconomic status and longer surgical waits, lower access to adjuvant RT and to longer RT waits across diverse places in California. None were observed in Ontario. The two cohorts did not practically differ on access to surgery or on surgical waits. Compared with their counterparts in California, low-income Ontarians, particularly those in small urban places, gained greater access to RT, while high-income Americans had shorter waits for RT. Conclusions. This historical study contextualized Canada’s “waiting-list problems” with evidence on breast cancer care, where lower income Americans seemed to have waited as long as similar Canadians. Many more low-income Americans seemed to experience the longest wait of all for adjuvant care. They simply did not receive it. In contrast to stark American socioeconomic inequity, this study evidenced remarkable equity in Canadian breast cancer care.

scholarly journals Breast cancer care in the Canada and the United States: Ecological comparisons of extremely impoverished and affluent urban neighborhoods

2010 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 156-163 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kevin M. Gorey ◽  
Isaac N. Luginaah ◽  
Caroline Hamm ◽  
Karen Y. Fung ◽  
Eric J. Holowaty
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
United States ◽  
Cancer Care ◽  
The United States ◽  
Urban Neighborhoods ◽  
Breast Cancer Care
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