Please Help Me Prepare a Breast Cancer Talk

[Cynthia]

Wow, thanks to all of you have taken the time to write. I greatly appreciate your input and will be sure to work the bulk of your suggestions into my talk (and try like mad not to exceed my 25 minute timeframe).

I will let you know what I end up saying after the fact, and will pass on to you whatever feedback I receive.

Please keep your suggestions coming if you care to add them. I truly value your input.

Best,

Cynthia

[Bev]

I guess I would, from my perspective, regardless how you you complete recommended mammo's, you still need to do do self exams. Perhaps, breast MRI's should be required at age 40 for dense women. Mammo just doesn't pick up many. Bev

[Hopeful]

My two pet peeves, for your consideration:

1. Whether we like it or not, treating bc is a business (a big one in terms of $$) and patients should be treated like human beings, not processed like sausage. Doctors need to look beyond statistics to the patient, and by that I mean the WHOLE patient, not just the bc - after all, it isn't the cancer that walked in the room and asked for tx, it is the person who has cancer. Keep the focus on patients as individuals with feelings.

2. QOL is too often sacrificed, and needlessly, in bc tx. Keep in mind that survivors want to do more than just survive - we want to LIVE, and that means being able to maintain good QOL at all phases of tx to the fullest extent possible. Information, clear, concise and COMPLETE about all likely side effects of all tx should be communicated so the patient is not shocked when they happen, and also the means to cope with them.

Thanks for doing this, and best of luck to you with your speech. Will anyone be recording it?

Hopeful