Agency News and Notes

New AHRQ booklet explains breast cancer surgery options in Spanish

A new booklet to help Hispanic women recently diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer is now available in Spanish from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. The booklet provides evidence-based information to help women choose between lumpectomy, a breast-sparing procedure that is followed by radiation therapy; mastectomy, or removal of the entire breast; and mastectomy with breast reconstruction surgery.

Las primeras etapas del cáncer de seno. ¿Cuáles son sus opciones si tiene que operarse? is the Spanish-language version of Surgery Choices for Women with Early-Stage Breast Cancer, which was published by the National Cancer Institute in cooperation with AHRQ, the Health and Human Services' Office on Women's Health, and other public and private partners.

Breast cancer is the leading type of cancer among Hispanic women. An estimated 11,000 Hispanic women were diagnosed with breast cancer in 2003, according to the American Cancer Society. Early detection of breast cancer is critical to treating the disease in its initial stages. The booklet helps Spanish-speaking women decide, along with their surgeons, the type of procedure that is best for them. Included in the booklet are side-by-side comparisons of questions and answers for each procedure, such as whether the type of surgery a woman chooses will affect how long she lives, what the chances are that her cancer will return after surgery, and what her breast will look like after surgery.

The booklet was developed as part of an AHRQ program to help patients facing a choice of therapies make informed decisions based on the latest scientific evidence. It is available online in Spanish at http://www.ahrq.gov/consumer/brcanchoicesp.htm and in English at http://www.ahrq.gov/consumer/brcanchoice.htm. Free copies of the printed versions of Las primeras etapas del cáncer de seno. ¿Cuáles son sus opciones si tiene que operarse? (AHRQ Publication No. 05-0031) and Surgery Choices for Women with Early-Stage Breast Cancer (AHRQ Publication No. 04-M053) are also available from the AHRQ Publications Clearinghouse.

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