Abstract
We have developed a model educational program that provides health care professionals with a basic background in cancer genetics, a clear step-by-step approach to assessing a patient's genetic susceptibility to breast cancer and referral information. Breast C.A.R.E. (Cancer Assessment and Risk Evaluation) Breaks are innovative in-service workshops for nurses and primary care physicians provided within their work setting. These training courses include a convenient risk assessment pocket guide and a companion reference workbook. This CEU/CME course was piloted with oncology nurses at the James Cancer Hospital, currently 125 nurses have participated.
Health care professionals are taught how to elicit a cancer family history, recognize individuals with an increased breast cancer risk, evaluate the risk and refer the patient for genetic counseling, when appropriate. The Breast C.A.R.E. Pocket Guide is a user-friendly, compilation of risk algorithms in an easy-to-use flow chart format.
Pre- and post-course evaluations provide information about the impact this course has on clinical practice. Prior to the course, 40% of nurses assumed that hereditary breast cancer can only be maternally inherited; 77% overestimated the percentage of breast cancer that is hereditary; 36% were not comfortable providing patients with information about hereditary breast cancer while nearly 50% were comfortable referring the patient to a specialist. Before the course only 12% felt comfortable to assess patients' hereditary cancer risk; however, 43% were comfortable after their training. Interestingly, 65% noted that more of their patients are asking about hereditary cancers. These results underscore the importance of providing cancer genetics education to health care professionals.
This project was supported by a grant from the Columbus Affiliate of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.
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Hampel, H., Gregory, P. & Graham, J. Breast C.A.R.E. Breaks: An Innovative Cancer Genetics Education Model For Health Care Professionals. Genet Med 1, 55 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1097/00125817-199901000-00055
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1097/00125817-199901000-00055