Most Breast-Cancer Women Seek Information

Nearly 85 percent of women with breast cancer actively seek information about their disease at least once every six months, a U.S. survey found.

The survey found that women with breast cancer are redefining the term patient and becoming proactive medical consumers, with nearly one in five respondents actively seeking information about breast cancer once a week, according to a survey commissioned by Vital Options International, a cancer communications, advocacy and support organization.

These women are getting information about breast cancer and newer treatment options from a number of sources: 93 percent get information from their health provider; 67 percent from the Internet; 31 percent from friends and family; 21 percent from television, magazines and newspapers; and 15 percent from patient advocacy groups.

The good news is that women with breast cancer are becoming increasingly proactive about their care and are engaging in meaningful conversations with their oncologists about what they have learned, said Selma Schimmel of Vital Options International. But the not-so-good news is that many postmenopausal women on Tamoxifen or women who have read or heard about advances in hormonal therapies still aren’t discussing alternatives with their doctors, even when the latest therapies have been shown to reduce recurrence and may impact survival.