| Women in the US have around a 1 in 8 chance of | | | | the differences between treatment options for |
| developing breast cancer at some stage in their | | | | breast cancer, and minority women are even less |
| lives, and a three percent chance of dying from it. | | | | likely to be aware of the impact their decisions will |
| Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer | | | | have on their prognosis. This was found to be |
| death among women the world over, and is | | | | true even though surgeons communicated the |
| second only to heart disease in total numbers of | | | | differences to their patients in all cases - the |
| deaths caused. | | | | information simply didn't seem to be integrated |
| Treatment of breast cancer is an extremely | | | | into the decision making process. |
| important issue - yet many women do not know | | | | One factor that the researchers note is that |
| their treatment options for breast cancer. What | | | | information about breast cancer treatment must |
| do most women know about treating breast | | | | be communicated in a culturally appropriate and |
| cancer, and what can cancer hospitals do to help | | | | sensitive way. With medical tourism and overseas |
| women make better informed choices? | | | | treatment now creating a large part of the |
| Breast cancer is the second most common | | | | cancer-treatment demographic, this clear |
| cancer worldwide, the leading cancer in women, | | | | communication is more important than ever. |
| and the second leading cause of death in women | | | | Hospitals which focus on medical tourism, like |
| worldwide. It has an incidence rate more than | | | | Bangkok Hospital in Thailand, as well as |
| twice that of cervical cancer and colorectal | | | | Bumrungrad in Thailand, understand the |
| cancer, and three times as high as lung cancer in | | | | importance of cultural sensitivity when |
| women. It follows that breast cancer is one of | | | | communicating with patients. Bangkok Hospital, for |
| the most researched and publicized conditions - | | | | example, takes a range of steps to make sure |
| however, many groups in our society know little | | | | that overseas patients feel as 'at-home' as |
| about their treatment options for breast cancer. | | | | possible while in the hospital, with different dietary |
| Recent research has revealed that nearly half of | | | | options, doctor that speak several languages, as |
| women being treated for breast cancer did not | | | | well as translators for all the languages not |
| know that their odds of survival were just as | | | | spoken by the doctors themselves, and signage |
| good whether they underwent a complete | | | | and information provided in several languages. |
| mastectomy, or breast conserving surgery. One | | | | In many cases, patients may find that doctors in |
| of the greatest impacts of breast cancer on its | | | | Thai hospitals for breast cancer like Bangkok |
| survivors is on their mental health and self-image. | | | | Hospital and Bumrungrad have their treatment |
| The loss of a breast can have a huge impact on | | | | options more clearly communicated to them than |
| how a woman feels about herself, which in turn | | | | they would in the West. Both of these cancer |
| affects her general health and the attention she | | | | treatment hospitals in Thailand have specialized |
| pays to her body. | | | | breast care clinics, focusing on early detection and |
| The study was carried out by The University of | | | | diagnosis, as well as treatment of breast cancer in |
| Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center. It | | | | Thailand. |
| discovered that many women do not understand | | | | |