Breast cancer study aims to improve the DP experience with HCCC grant

The following is reprinted from the November 4 issue of the UI Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center’s Holden Highlights newsletter. See other features from this series.

For many women diagnosed with breast cancer, the diagnostic period (DP)—the time between the screening mammogram and the start of treatment—is often filled with uncertainty, anxiety, and distress. One patient compared the feeling to an inner tube being popped. “First you get popped, then your head explodes, and everything floats around like in cartoons. You don’t know what’s happening to you. Then someone patches it up, and slowly, you return to where you were.”

With support from a Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center pilot grant, Drs. Loreen Herwaldt, DeShauna Jones, Lillian Erdahl, Ingrid Lizarraga, and Sonia Sugg aim to improve the patient experience of the DP. They will conduct semi-structured interviews with patient navigators and 15 patients from diverse socioeconomic and racial/ethnic backgrounds, all of whom have recently started treatment for breast cancer at Iowa. This study builds on previous interviews with five patients who were treated at Iowa, which highlighted various aspects of care that provided emotional, informational, and practical support. These aspects included a breast cancer treatment handbook and the book A Woman’s Decision: Breast Care, Treatment, & Reconstruction; the breast surgeon’s objectivity, availability, and clear communication; physical reassurance; and the opportunity to express preferences about how much information they wanted on upcoming procedures.

The pilot study also revealed areas where support during the DP could be improved, such as streamlining and coordinating appointments, providing clearer explanations for tests, procedures, and treatments, and offering access to services like nutritional support, prostheses, wigs, support groups, and guidance on discussing their diagnosis with loved ones.

The research team and patient advisory group will review information from the interviews to identify key facilitators, gaps, and potential solutions. The findings will be presented to Cancer Center leaders with the goal of developing actionable strategies to enhance patient care and improve the DP experience at UIHC.