July 2015 | No. 174

Editors' Corner

The July Newsletter contains important announcements regarding the NCBC Information Exchange and recently available access to The Breast Journal for NCBC members. In addition, the feature article by Mary Ellen Egger APN, WHNP-BC, CBPN-IC, describes the integration of Advanced Practice Nurses (APN) into Breast Cancer Care at the Vanderbilt Breast Center. Finally, I have summarized two recent intriguing papers dealing with the subject of Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) which challenge commonly accepted practice of HRT.

NCBC Information Exchange

Members of NCBC have access to our Information Exchange which is helpful to the breast center staff and physicians because it allows members to post questions to the membership asking for insight and expertise on a specific breast center related matter. This service has been recently revamped to make access and cross referencing much easier. Read more.....

Member Benefit: The Breast Journal

NCBC has recently affiliated with The Breast Journal. NCBC members can gain access to the e-version of The Breast Journal for a discounted annual NCBC member's rate of $125. The Breast Journal is devoted specifically to the research, diagnosis, and treatment of all breast diseases.

Read more.....

Feature Article

Impact of Advanced Practice Nurses

In the July NCBC Newsletter Bulletin, the feature article by Mary Ellen Egger, APN, WHNP-BC, CBPN-IC, describes the integration of Advanced Practice Nurses (APN) into Breast Cancer Care at the Vanderbilt Breast Center. She stresses the improved coordination of care through APNs, which has resulted in better compliance with National Comprehensive Cancer Network Guidelines, reduced costs, and higher patient satisfaction scores. The article is reminiscent of Dr. Harold Freeman's landmark work proving the value of Patient Navigation starting in 1990. The results were impressive, the most important being a marked improvement in survival. In 1986, the 5 year survival of breast cancer patients diagnosed at Harlem Hospital was only 39%. By 2000, 10 years after institution of Patient Navigation, the 5 year survival had improved to 70%. No show appointments decreased from 67% to 10%, time from initial consult to medical procedures decreased from 10 weeks to 2 weeks, and detection of early cancers increased by 50%. Today, Navigation Programs have expanded services, often incorporating financial aid, transportation, nutritional support, coordination of patient care between physicians and ancillary services, improved communication between patients and physicians, enhanced patient compliance with treatment and follow-up. Ms. Egger reports similar benefits with utilization of APNs as described in our Feature Article.

Read more.....

Citation - Hormone Replacement Therapy

with Editor's Comment

It is recognized that hormone replacement therapy [HRT] in well women may increase the risk of breast cancer, but it is less clear how HRT impacts breast cancer survivors. In fact, there is some evidence from observational studies that HRT may actually decrease recurrence in breast cancer survivors. A recent article addresses this issue and provides supportive evidence that for breast cancer survivors dealing with hormonal deficiency symptoms, the benefit of HRT may outweigh the risk. Mark Rufus, MD contributed the Editor's Comment. Read more.....

NCBC Education: Save These Dates

Navigator Certification Exams

August 14, 2015 * Knoxville, TN

September 12, 2015 * Oak Lawn, IL

November 3, 2015 * New York, NY

November 13-14, 2015 * Albuquerque, NM

April 12 or 13, 2016 * Las Vegas, NV

Certified Breast Examiner (CBE)

August 15 - 16, 2015 * Knoxville, TN

April 12- 13, 2016 * Las Vegas, NV

26th Annual Interdisciplinary Breast Center Conference

April 9-13, 2016 * Las Vegas, NV

For more Information please call (574) 267-8058

or Visit bpnc.org/certificationschedule� for details & registration

On behalf of the Newsletter Advisory Board and the reconfigured Newsletter Committee, we once again urge the members to share your thoughts and ideas for creative and interesting articles to present to the membership so all of us can gain from the others' experiences.

Co-Editors

Susan Casella, RN

Rufus Mark, MD

NCBC President
Jennifer Gass, MD, FACS
Breast Fellowship Director
Co-Director, Breast Health Center
Chief of Surgery
Women & Infants Hospital,
Associate Professor of Surgery, and of Gynecology and Obstetrics
Warren Alpert Medical School, Brown University Providence, RI

Co-Editors
Rufus Mark, MD
Radiation Oncology of Central Arizona
Banner University Medical Center
Phoenix, AZ

Susan Casella, RN, OCN
Northside Hospital Cancer Institute Atlanta, GA

Editor Emeritus
Claudia Z. Lee, MBA

NCBC | (574) 267-8058 | ncbcemailservice@breastcare.org | http://www.breastcare.org