Proposed Topic (Most preferred): :
Clinical Safety and Quality Service I (Projects aiming to improve efficiency and effectiveness of care delivery to meet international standards)
Authors (including presenting author) :
Yeung YM(1), Lau TK(1), Yuen SL(1)
Affiliation :
(1)Department of Surgery, Queen Elizabeth Hospital
Introduction :
Breast cancer survivors who have completed treatment and their disease is in remission, they are still at risk of recurrence or developing a new disease in the contralateral breast. To facilitate the continuity of breast cancer care, breast nurse is trained and provides clinical breast examination, psychological support and health education for discharge of breast cancer patients (disease free>5years) from SOPD.
Objectives :
To enhance the Continuity of Care for breast cancer survivors. To optimize their health and arouse awareness of breast care.
Methodology :
Breast Cancer Survivor follow-up in the nurse clinic between Jun 2017- Nov 2023, with data collected for retrospective analysis.
Result & Outcome :
A total of thirteen breast cancer survivors had abnormal findings in their contralateral breast and one survivor had abnormal findings in her ipsilateral breast. Among these survivors (disease free 8-17 years), one survivor self-palpated a breast lump and thirteen survivors detected abnormality by SFI mammogram and ultrasound. They underwent core biopsies of breast abnormalities, five biopsies showed benign findings (fibroadenoma and traumatic neuroma, no evidence of malignancy) and nine survivors’ biopsies proven the presence of cancer cells (Ductal Carcinoma In-Situ, Invasive Ductal Carcinoma and Invasive Lobular Carcinoma). Among these nine survivors, eight were newly diagnosed breast cancer in their contralateral breast and one was diagnosed local recurrence of her ipsilateral breast cancer. They underwent operation and their final pathology reports showed early-stage breast cancer and only one case had lymph node metastasis. Conclusion: Breast awareness and regular screening are significant for early detection, subsequent early intervention and early treatment can reduce the burden on patient and improving their quality of life. Breast Nurse play a significant role in supporting breast surgeon and providing continuity of breast cancer care to breast cancer survivors.
