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Health care disparities, which are differences in the attainment of full health potential among population groups, have been documented across medical conditions, clinical settings, and diagnostic and treatment modalities. Deeply rooted health care disparities due to many factors have affected how Black women (BW) view medical care including screening mammography. This article explores health care disparities around breast cancer in BW and how patient distrust, provider biases, race, and social determinants of health continue to have negative effects on breast cancer outcomes in BW, despite medical advances in breast cancer detection and management. In addition, this article addresses the importance of culturally competent care for BW around breast cancer awareness, screening, and treatment, and offers strategies to address disparities and rebuild trust. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Previous studies indicate significant gaps exist in current practices and perceptions of oncofertility care. Objectives: We aim to understand the clinical experience regarding oncofertility care among health providers in a multidisciplinary breast care team. Methods: A qualitative, descriptive study was conducted. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with 16 health care providers who worked in a hospital in Taipei. Verbatim transcriptions were analyzed using constant analysis methods. Results: Health care providers’ experiences regarding fertility care for reproductive-age women with breast cancer were divided into two themes: personal perspectives and barriers. Personal perspectives consisted of six subthemes including empathizing with the patient’s suffering during the diagnosis and treatment, safety as a prerequisite, satisfying the women’s needs, respecting the women’s choice, questioning women’s ability to raise children, and returning to family life. There were also six subthemes under barriers. These subthemes were poor communication among the multidisciplinary team, lack of initial screening, insufficient support in the women’s families, treatment considerations, lack of evidence-based information regarding oncofertility, and non-follow-up protocol. Conclusion: Nurses should evaluate the fertility needs of women with cancer and identify potential gaps during oncofertility care. Education strategies and tactics should be improved in order to overcome difficulties arising from health care providers’ personal perspectives and barriers to the provision of optimal fertility care in women with cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify nursing interventions for the postpartum breast care of mothers and determine the effectiveness of interventions for breast pain and engorgement by systematic review. Methods: Eight national and international databases were reviewed to retrieve and collect randomized controlled trial and controlled clinical trial literature published up to March 2015. Two reviewers independently selected the studies and performed data abstraction and validation. The risk of bias was assessed using Cochrane criteria. A meta-analysis of the studies was performed to analyze the data. Results: The meta-analysis showed that breast massage, along with routine breast care, resulted in a 3.52-point reduction in pain on a 10-point visual analogue scale. Meta-analysis of therapy with cold cabbage leaves and routine breast care showed a pain reduction of 0.54 points. Meta-analysis of cold cabbage leaf application in the experimental group versus cold compress therapy in the comparison group showed a pain reduction of 0.44 points. Meta-analysis of cold cabbage leaf application and routine breast care showed an engorgement reduction of 0.67 points. Conclusion: The results of the analysis of 12 articles showed that hot and cold compresses, breast massage, and cabbage application were effective for postpartum breast pain and engorgement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death among women in the United States. There are disparities in breast cancer mortality by race/ethnicity and socio-economic factors. Health literacy may have an impact on breast health disparities. In addition, learning about people's perceptions of breast health and treatment is important to understand why some do not seek a mammogram or treatment for breast cancer. The purpose of this study is to examine the association between health literacy and negative perceptions of breast health and treatment among female uninsured primary care patients utilizing a free clinic for underserved populations. Women utilizing a free clinic who were aged 40 years or older (N = 276) participated in a self-administered survey from September to December in 2015. Higher levels of health literacy were associated with lower levels of negative perceptions of breast cancer and treatment. Non-US born English speakers reported higher levels of negative perceptions of breast cancer and treatment than US born English speakers and Spanish speakers. While there were no significant differences in health literacy among the groups, US born English speakers were less likely to have had a mammogram in the past 3 years compared with non-US born English speakers and Spanish speakers. Future research should consider where women are obtaining information and how the method of exposure shapes their attitudes towards breast health and in turn, their rates of examinations for breast cancer. Cultural factors may be also important determinants of the perceptions and need to be further examined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports on topics which were discussed at a panel discussion held after the 2012 annual meeting of the Society of Clinical Oncology in Chicago, Illinois which featured oncologists Nadia Harbeck, Jens Huober, Gunter von Minckwitz, Volker Möbus', Volkmar Müller and Christoph Thomssen. Topics included highlights from the meeting, changes in breast cancer treatment triggered by the meeting and developments in the treatment of HER2-Positive Breast Cancer.

Background: In recent years there has been an increasing interest in MRI as a non-invasive diagnostic modality for the work-up of suspicious breast lesions. The additional value of Breast MRI lies mainly in its capacity to detect multicentric and multifocal disease, to detect invasive components in ductal carcinoma in situ lesions and to depict the tumor in a 3-dimensional image. Breast MRI therefore has the potential to improve the diagnosis and provide better preoperative staging and possibly surgical care in patients with breast cancer. The aim of our study is to assess whether performing contrast enhanced Breast MRI can reduce the number of surgical procedures due to better preoperative staging and whether a subgroup of women with suspicious nonpalpable breast lesions can be identified in which the combination of mammography, ultrasound and stateof- the-art contrast-enhanced Breast MRI can provide a definite diagnosis. Methods/Design: The MONET -- study (MR mammography Of Nonpalpable BrEast Tumors) is a randomized controlled trial with diagnostic and therapeutic endpoints. We aim to include 500 patients with nonpalpable suspicious breast lesions who are referred for biopsy. With this number of patients, the expected 12% reduction in surgical procedures due to more accurate preoperative staging with Breast MRI can be detected with a high power (90%). The secondary outcome is the positive and negative predictive value of contrast enhanced Breast MRI. If the predictive values are deemed sufficiently close to those for large core biopsy then the latter, invasive, procedure could possibly be avoided in some women. The rationale, study design and the baseline characteristics of the first 100 included patients are described. Trial registration: Study protocol number NCT00302120 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An introduction is presented in which the editor discusses articles in the issue on topics including symmetry after unilateral free flap breast reconstruction, scientific research with regard to adipose derived stem cells; and "Risk factors for complications skin-sparing".

A calendar of events is presented, which includes the German Breast Group (GBG) Jahrestreffen 2012 to be held in Frankfurt, Germany; 8th European Breast Cancer Conference (EBCC – 8) to be held in Wien, Austria; and ASCO Annual Meeting to be held in Chicago, Illinois.

No abstract available [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Both Hispanic and African American women have higher odds ratios for diagnosis with later-stage breast cancer than Caucasian women. Women commonly delay in seeking medical care for three or more months after self-discovery of a breast symptom, and cultural factors play an important role. The purpose of this study was to identify cultural beliefs contributing to the diagnosis of late-stage breast cancer in African-American and Latina women. An inductive approach was used to identify cultural beliefs, using Strauss and Corbin's (1990) coding techniques. First, cultural beliefs were identified, using a community participatory model to conduct four focus groups with Latinas (in Spanish and in English), African-American, and Caucasian women. Second, interviews with 117 women demonstrated that these beliefs were commonly held. Cultural beliefs contributing to non-participation in mammography and delay in seeking medical evaluation after finding a breast symptom were identified. Four categories of cultural beliefs were identified (and compared) among the three ethnic groups: (1) incorrect ideas about breast lumps; (2) use of self-help techniques; (3) faith-based beliefs; (4) futility of treatment. Differences in sources of health information also were identified among the groups, with the African-American and Latina women depending to a greater extent on social networks, rather than health care professionals and text-based media. Another difference was the use of stories to convey information, which was more prevalent in the African-American and Latina groups. In the stories, the strongest beliefs were based on experiences of people they knew personally. In addition, it was found that the health care system serving these women is ill equipped to handle increased demand. Findings from each group will be incorporated into community-based interventions to promote early detection of breast cancer, both by addressing cultural beliefs and by advocating for increased capacity for diagnostic and screening mammography. The use of a community participatory model resulted in richer data with greater cultural saliency, through the active collaboration of community partners in all phases of the study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]