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Learning Guide for Breast Conditions
Benign Breast Disorders:
Fibrocystic Breast Disease
1. What is major cause of fibrocystic cystic breast disease? What are symptoms?
2. Why is a mammogram not the best way to diagnose a fibrocystic condition? How are fibrocystic
conditions diagnosed? What is a fine needle aspiration and why is it used?
3. What type of diet is the patient encouraged to follow? Why no chocolate or caffeine?
4. What medications are used in treatment?
Breast Cancer:
5. What are the commonly accepted risk factors for the development of breast cancer? How do the
BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes relate to breast cancer? What factors affect prognosis?
http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/BRCA#1
6. What are the manifestations of breast cancer? *What are the differences between fibrocystic
breast disease and breast cancer? Where is the distribution of breast cancer?
7. What is important to include in teaching a woman about a breast self exam? (when is it performed,
what time of the month, how to perform/ steps, what are looking for or palpating for?) Which
area of the breast is most likely to develop cancer?
8. How do each of the following tests assist in the diagnosis of breast cancer?
a. Lymphatic Mapping and Sentinel Lymph Node Dissection (SLND) – **what does it mean to be
sentinel? Why is this test done?
b. Tumor size –
c. Estrogen and progesterone receptor sites –
d. Cell-proliferatiovie indices –
9. Compare and contrast the following surgical procedures for treatment of breast cancer including

Modified radical mastectomy

Lumpectomy with radiation
10. What is the difference in primary radiation therapy and intra-operative radiation? What is the
advantage of one over the other? What is palliative radiation, when used?
11. When is high-dose brachytherapy used? What is the related nursing care?
12. Tamoxifen (Nolvadex) and Fulvestrant (Faslodex) are common hormone medications used in
treating breast cancer. What is the mechanism of action, side effects and nursing implications of
each?
13. How are Biologic and targeted therapy used in the treatment of breast cancers? How does
Herceptin act and nursing implications?
14. What are the most common chemotherapy drugs used in treating breast cancer? What are the side
effects and nursing implications?
15. What is lymphedema? What are measures used in controlling the edema? What type of exercises
are taught to the patient immediately post-op and exercises taught to use later?
16. What are precautions used in protecting the arm with lymphedema?
17. What are additional nursing care priorities for the woman following a mastectomy?
18. What is the process involved in breast reconstruction? What is the purpose of the tissue expander?
19. What are complications of breast reconstruction?