[Oncologic Care of Breast Cancer Patients with Preexisting Disabilities: Results of a Qualitative Study on Perceived Barriers, Communication Difficulties, and Needs].

Up to now, people with disabilities have received little consideration in health care with regard to their individual needs. This study gathers information on the internal perspective of breast cancer patients with a pre-existing disability with regard to needs and barriers in oncological care. For this purpose, qualitative, guideline-based interviews were conducted and analysed using qualitative content analysis.

Are There Disparities in Surgical Treatment for Breast Cancer Patients with Prior Physical Disability A Path Analysis.

Introduction: Cancer care for patients with prior physical disability has hardly been researched in clinical research, health services research, or special education. This article aims to compare the severity of disease and the surgical treatment of diagnosed breast cancer patients with and without prior physical disability.

Methods: A total of 4,194 patients with primary breast cancer who underwent surgery in a breast cancer center in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, participated in an annual postoperative postal survey, which was complemented by clinical data.

[Influence of Sociodemographic Factors on Type of and Stage at Diagnosis in Breast Cancer].

Unlabelled: This study examines the influence of sociodemographic factors on the type of and stage at diagnosis in breast cancer in Germany.

Method: As part of the certification of the breast cancer centers by the German Cancer Society (DGK), the Institute of Medical Sociology, Health Services and Rehabilitation Science (IMVR) conducted nationwide post-stationary postal patient surveys (n=852). The influence of sociodemographic factors on the type of diagnosis and on the stage at diagnosis were each analyzed using a multinomial logistic regression.

How do breast cancer patients experience multidisciplinary tumor conferences? - A description from the patient perspective.

Objectives: Aim of this study was to investigate the experiences of breast cancer patients who participated in multidisciplinary tumor conferences (MTCs).

Study Design: Data from two consecutive years of an annual postal survey of patients with primary breast cancer were combined. Data was collected between February and July 2015 (response rate 72%) and 2016 (response rate 73%) from N = 8893 patients (ICD-10 C50) after hospital discharge from 86 breast cancer center hospitals in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.

[Is There An Association Between Audit Results and Patient Experiences at Breast Centres in North Rhine-Westphalia?].

Aim Of The Study: To ensure and improve the quality of care, patients with breast cancer in North Rhine-Westphalia are supposed to be treated in certified breast centres only. To obtain this certification, every 3 years all centres must undergo an auditing process. They also have to participate in an annual patient survey.

The initial clinical interview--can it reduce cancer patients' fear?

Purpose: A common phenomenon among cancer patients is a fear of cancer recurrence or cancer progression (FOP). The aim of the present study was to analyze whether the oncologist is able to reduce patients' FOP at the initial clinical interview.

Method: A prospective, longitudinal study included patients who were consulting private-practice oncologists in Germany for the first time.