The breast health nurse navigator

Nurse Navigators are experienced oncology professionals who can support and guide patients through their care. From the time someone is diagnosed, they are available as dedicated members of the cancer care team to facilitate personalized cancer care for them and their family Meet Cynthia Brown, BSN, RN What is your role as a breast health nurse navigator? My role is to educate, support and empower men and women who are diagnosed with breast cancer. I am an advocate for patients throughout the diagnostic and treatment phases of their disease. I help to guide patients and their families through their treatment to make sure their needs are met medically, emotionally and psychosocially while utilizing local, community and national resources to support them. Why is having a regular mammogram important for health and well-being? Getting a regular mammogram is very important for a woman’s health and well-being because preventative medicine is critical to positive outcomes. The technology and medical advancements we have today help detect and treat cancers earlier, when it is most curable, which provide many more options than we had 30 years ago. What advice would you share with someone who was nervous about getting a mammogram? It’s common to feel anxious or nervous when getting a mammogram. But the peace of mind you receive after you have the test is immeasurable. In the event that a mammogram finds something, many people experience a sense of relief that they had the procedure to identify the problem and begin a treatment plan to take care of it early. What happens if someone is called for additional imaging? Don’t panic! It is very common to be called back for additional imaging. Only a small percentage of patients that have additional imaging receive a diagnosis of cancer. If you need additional imaging, you will return to the imaging center and have a few more pictures taken of the breast area where the radiologist identified something on the screening mammogram. Depending on the finding, a breast ultrasound may also be recommended. At all Chester County Hospital radiology locations, when women are called back for additional imaging, they will always know their results before they leave the facility.