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In reading the posts on different breast cancer forums, even with all the info out there about breast cancer, it still "sounds" to me as though for many diagnosed with bc there is still one "piece" missing.... I think some of the larger cancer centers are better about addressing it, but on the whole I think more needs to be done. The "piece" I am talking about is that each patient, just after diagnosis and maybe even before talking with an oncologist, should be offered the opportunity for an up-to-date basic class specifically on breast cancer. Not a 1-hour crash course with a busy doctor, but something spread out over a couple of different sessions, so that a person has time to learn the vocabulary and remember it, and have the time to think up their own questions. I know there are some online tools like the Mayo Clinic introduction, but as someone who works in the medical field I know unfortunately that most of the medical personnel who deal (at least initially) with breast cancer patients are either not aware of those tools or are not actively advising the patient where to look to use them.
I remember telling my onc when I got to Seattle to see him that I'd read online from Alaska about a video the center offered that I felt would be helpful, and that I wondered if I could see it. Instead of letting me know that there was a large cancer resource center I could visit to find the video, he just said "yes" but buzzed on without telling me where to go to find it. As it turned out, the resource center was located close to the main lobby of the cancer center with no clear signs posted to direct anyone how to find it.
Ideally the class would include the opportunity to visit any cancer resource center, or at least some basic handouts listing some key resources.
AlaskaAngel
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