I have embedded a video with my guest Dr. Minas Chrysopoulo, current president of PRMA in San Antonio, Texas on the topic of breast reconstruction for stage IV breast cancer. We share our common thinking that we do not believe we would have been having this conversation ten, or even as recently as five years ago. It is a topic worthy of discussion. Dr. C shares information in the slides to guide those with stage IV breast cancer through the decisional process of considering their options for breast reconstruction.
Development of Decisional Apps and Treatment for Stage IV Breast Cancer
A convincing motivation for me having this conversation with Dr. C is that he is the developer of the Breast Advocate® app. This free app is co-created by leading specialists and patient advocates. I have been on Dr. C’s advisory team since the inception of the app and have watched it develop over the years. I often share it with the community of breast cancer patients on the DiepCJourney Facebook private group. The ability to personalize your care and plans for surgery led me to invite him to talk specifically about breast reconstruction for stage IV breast cancer patients.
Dr. C states breast reconstruction is a topic that is extremely important and yet is underdiscussed in the setting of Stage IV breast cancer. Because we both agree everyone has different learning styles, videos, hard copies in print, podcasts, or apps, we feel it is imperative to empower patients with education. It is the focus for this blog with embedded video. The video has a detailed slide show on how the Breast Advocate® app can assist stage IV patients with their surgical options for breast reconstruction.
Addressing this topic with Dr. C feels hopeful and positive to me. Dr. C agrees. He points out treatment has improved in breast cancer care overall over the past five to ten years. When he was in training for microsurgery, the topic of breast reconstruction for stage IV disease was not discussed. He tells us in some patient situations it is now a very appropriate discussion to have and for some important to quality of life. He emphasizes all options should be on the table to have a conversation if patients are interested in breast reconstruction.
Breast Advocate® app for Stage IV Breast Cancer Breast Reconstruction
Through organic growth the Breast Advocate® app currently has twenty thousand users. There are several different breast cancer types addressed in the app with resources developed from feedback from patient advocates who gave feedback to Dr. C about what education and resources were missing. It was developed and is the first breast cancer app specific for breast cancer surgery. After a brief introduction of the app, Dr. C and I will focus on breast surgery and reconstruction options for stage IV patients.
Stage IV patients can go into their surgical consult prepared with questions after filling out the wizard on the app. This allows them to optimize time, often limited for physicians nowadays, and have a shared decision-making conversation with their physician. Going into a consult reading and understanding information specific to a patient’s diagnosis, allows the patient to review information they might find pertinent. Having it available on the app allows the patient to go back and review after consultation.
The app is not practice specific to PRMA and the team Dr. C works with. It is appropriate for any breast cancer patient and practice. It is why I recommend it to others. Some of the folks I recommend the app to are:
- Caregivers
- Nurse navigators
- Medical tattoo artists
- Oncologists
- Primary care physicians
- Patient coordinators
Setting up the app for Stage IV Patients
When you download the app, you will open the home screen. You will see the icons on the bottom. You can choose the option to go to the Knowledge Center or the Community from your dashboard. Once you are in the Knowledge Center, you will see the treatment options. At the top of the Knowledge Center you will see, “I want to be part of my Treatment Decisions.” Dr. C tells us this walks you through what the shared decision-making process looks like. Scrolling down a bit, you will see, “I am Stage 4”. Feedback from patient advocates who helped Dr. C develop the app suggested he set up the app in situations vs. topics. This is why you can make a personalized selection at the Knowledge Center.
Once you click on “I am Stage IV”, you have the choice of clicking on:
- Articles
- Images
- Videos
- Links
Dr. C continues by telling us that not all metastatic disease is the same. It is important to understand who a candidate for surgery is. This is very much a multi-disciplinary conversation. It is imperative to include the medical oncologist, radiologist, breast, and reconstructive surgeon. When a stage IV patient is considered stable, for example boney metastasis, this can be stable and contained for a very long time. This is a consideration for a stage IV patient who can explore options for breast reconstruction if they wish to. The nonsurgical information provided in the app can help patients understand why they may be a candidate.
Education for Stage IV Breast Cancer Patients Seeking Reconstruction
Dr. C goes further to explain how you can drill down to specific topics by using the “My Feed” option and the search engine icon at the top of the screen. The evidence-based articles are provided by experts in the field of breast cancer as well as patient advocates. The research articles can be read and printed up to discuss at a medical consultation. This learning environment provided in the app is one effective learning tool for patients and practitioners alike.
The slide show is very informative, and I invite you to watch the video with Dr. C here.