Topics A-Z

A

• Advanced breast cancer
  Detection and diagnosis
  Advanced breast cancer, also known as metastatic breast cancer, secondary or stage 4 breast cancer is when cancer cells spread from the first (primary or early) cancer in the breast or axilla to other parts of the body
• Advanced breast cancer: Holistic care
  Patient Support
  Clinicians play an important role in supporting patients living with advanced breast cancer and the "rollercoaster" of symptoms that impact their physical and emotional functioning
• Advanced breast cancer: Managing side effects
  Patient Support
  Managing the different side effects associated with advanced breast cancer and its treatment is crucial to patients' quality of life
• Advanced breast cancer: Palliative care
  Patient Support
  Palliative care in advanced breast cancer can happen at any stage to help manage the symptoms of cancer, reduce treatment side effects and improve quality of life
• Advanced breast cancer: Prognosis
  Advanced breast cancer
  Predicting how advanced breast cancer will progress is difficult, but the patient's specialist team may be able to give an indication of prognosis
• Advanced breast cancer: Symptoms and diagnosis
  Advanced breast cancer
  Symptoms of advanced breast cancer differ depending on where the cancer has spread to
• Advanced breast cancer: Treatment
  Treatment
  Advanced breast cancer can be treated using systemic treatments including endocrine therapy, targeted/biological therapy and chemotherapy, and local treatment including surgery and radiation therapy.
• Apply for funding
  Workforce
  Research grants, fellowships, scholarships and workforce funding are available through Breast Cancer Foundation NZ. See available grants below
• Autologous reconstruction
  Reconstruction
  Autologous reconstruction uses a patient's own tissue and/or muscle to reconstruct the breast.
• Axillary surgery
  Breast surgery
  Axillary surgery is performed to assess for any lymph node involvement of cancer cells, and to what extent
• axillary node dissection
  Breast surgery
  Axillary surgery is performed to assess for any lymph node involvement of cancer cells, and to what extent

B

• Benign conditions
  Detection and diagnosis
  There are a number of benign breast conditions that can be detected through physical or visual symptoms, or found during breast screening.
• Benign conditions affecting men
  Benign conditions
  Gynaecomastia is characterised by an overgrowth of glandular tissue in the male breast and affects 50-70% of men
• Benign conditions presenting as lumps
  Benign conditions
  Benign conditions, such as mastalgia, mastitis, breast cysts and fibroadenomas, can present as clinical symptoms of breast cancer
• Benign conditions: Changes detected on mammogram
  Benign conditions
  There are a number of benign breast changes that can be detected on mammogram
• Bone health in endocrine therapy
  Endocrine therapy
  Some endocrine therapies can cause bone density loss, which increases the risk of bone-related side effects, including the risk of fracture
• Bone strengthening therapy
  Advanced breast cancer: Treatment
  Bone-strengthening therapies are used to treat bone metastases and strengthen existing bone, but these treatments can occasionally result in osteonecrosis
• Breast cancer in pregnancy
  Specific populations
  Breast cancer diagnosed during pregnancy, breastfeeding or in the first year post-delivery.
• Breast cancer staging
  Referral and diagnostics
  Cancer is staged using the TNM system, which calculates how advanced a cancer is using anatomic factors
• Breast cancer treatment
  Treatment
  Treatment for breast cancer can be given both locally and systemically. Treatment plans are individualised to each patient as no two breast cancer cases are the same
• Breast conserving surgery
  Breast surgery
  Breast conserving surgery is the excision of the tumour with the aim of removing the cancer and leaving the breast looking as natural as possible.
• Breast density
  Detection and diagnosis
  Breast density is influenced by genetics, age, weight, hormone treatments, ethnicity and physical activity, and by itself it is associated with a moderate risk of breast cancer.
• Breast screening
  Detection and diagnosis
  Women aged between 45-69 are eligible for free mammograms every two years through BreastScreen Aotearoa. The age range for free breast screening is currently being extended to include women up to 74 by the end of 2029.
• Breast surgery
  Breast cancer treatment
  Breast cancer surgery is the most common primary treatment for invasive breast cancer and ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) in New Zealand. Options include breast-conserving surgery, and mastectomy
• BreastScreen Aotearoa
  Detection and diagnosis
  Women aged between 45-69 are eligible for free mammograms every two years through BreastScreen Aotearoa. The age range for free breast screening is currently being extended to include women up to 74 by the end of 2029.

C

• CME
  Workforce
  Breast Cancer Foundation NZ offers a free online education course for GPs, nurses and other health professionals interested in breast cancer management
• Chemotherapy
  Breast cancer treatment
  Chemotherapy is a systemic treatment that inhibits the growth of cancer cells that may have metastasised to other areas of the body.
• Clinical breast examination
  Signs of breast cancer
  Clinical breast examinations should be a part of routine appointments once a patient is over 40
• Clinical trials database
  Treatment
  Clinical trials can give patients access to new therapies or drugs, or a novel way of receiving treatment, that is not available through the public health system
• Cording
  Lymphoedema therapy
  Cording is a side effect of breast cancer surgery and occurs in 10% of patients after surgery to the axilla
• Counselling referrals
  Patient Support
  Breast Cancer Foundation NZ offers funded nationwide counselling for patients who have been diagnosed with breast cancer and those who are at high risk of developing breast cancer
• Criteria for genetic screening
  Family risk
  Patients should be referred to genetic services for an assessment if they have a personal or family history of breast cancer

D

• Dense breasts
  Detection and diagnosis
  Breast density is influenced by genetics, age, weight, hormone treatments, ethnicity and physical activity, and by itself it is associated with a moderate risk of breast cancer.
• Detection and diagnosis
  Overview and links to relevant articles.

E

• Endocrine therapy
  Breast cancer treatment
  Endocrine therapy, tamoxifen, aromatase inhibitors, ovarian suppression and regimens.

F

• Family risk
  Detection and diagnosis
  Risk categories, Genetic mutations and family history.
• Funding for treatments
  Treatment
  Approved and unapproved medicines, Medicines Act 1981, prescribing unapproved or ‘off-label’ medications, cost-sharing programmes and clinical trials.
• Fungating wounds
  Skin care in oncology
  Development, complications and consequences, management.

G

H

• Hand foot syndrome
  Skin care in oncology
  Definition, grading and management.
• Hereditary breast cancer
  Detection and diagnosis
  Risk categories, Genetic mutations and family history.
• hand-foot syndrome
  Skin care in oncology
  Definition, grading and management.

I

• Implant reconstruction
  Reconstruction
  Reconstruction techniques and factors to consider.
• Integrative therapies
  Patient Support
  Complementary therapies used alongside conventional treatment offer an integrated approach to breast cancer treatment.

J

K

L

• Loco-regional recurrence
  Risk of recurrence
  Loco-regional recurrence, symptoms and treatment.
• Lumpectomy
  Breast surgery
  Breast conserving surgery is the excision of the tumour with the aim of removing the cancer and leaving the breast looking as natural as possible.
• Lymphedema
  Patient Support
  Symptoms, stages, managing, funding and referring lymphodema.
• Lymphoedema
  Patient Support
  Symptoms, stages, managing, funding and referring lymphodema.

M

• Male breast cancer
  Specific populations
  Risk factors, symptoms and treatment for male breast cancer
• Mammogram
  Detection and diagnosis
  Women aged between 45-69 are eligible for free mammograms every two years through BreastScreen Aotearoa. The age range for free breast screening is currently being extended to include women up to 74 by the end of 2029.
• Mastectomy
  Breast surgery
  When appropriate, and types (simple, modified radical, skin-sparing and nipple-sparing).
• Metastatic breast cancer
  Detection and diagnosis
  Advanced breast cancer, also known as metastatic breast cancer, secondary or stage 4 breast cancer is when cancer cells spread from the first (primary or early) cancer in the breast or axilla to other parts of the body
• Metastatic breast cancer: Holistic care
  Patient Support
  Clinicians play an important role in supporting patients living with advanced breast cancer and the "rollercoaster" of symptoms that impact their physical and emotional functioning
• Metastatic breast cancer: Palliative care
  Patient Support
  Palliative care in advanced breast cancer can happen at any stage to help manage the symptoms of cancer, reduce treatment side effects and improve quality of life
• Ministry of Health subsidies
  Patient Support
  Applications, breast prosthesis bras, wigs, hairpieces, national travel assistance.

N

• National Register
  Workforce
  Data collected, eligibility for inclusion and requesting data.
• Nurse line
  Patient Support
  Free nurse advice line – for patients, whanau, supporters and health professionals. Our specialist breast cancer nurses are available weekdays from 9am - 5pm.
• node clearance
  Breast surgery
  Axillary surgery is performed to assess for any lymph node involvement of cancer cells, and to what extent

O

• Oncoplastic surgery
  Reconstruction
  Purpose, techniques and the need for radiation therapy.
• Other procedures
  Reconstruction
  Nipple reconstruction, 3D nipple tattooing, fat grafting and surgery to the other breast.

P

• Palliative care
  Patient Support
  Palliative care in advanced breast cancer can happen at any stage to help manage the symptoms of cancer, reduce treatment side effects and improve quality of life
• Palmar-Plantar Erythrodysesthesia
  Skin care in oncology
  Definition, grading and management.
• Partial mastectomy
  Breast surgery
  Breast conserving surgery is the excision of the tumour with the aim of removing the cancer and leaving the breast looking as natural as possible.
• Pathology
  Referral and diagnostics
  Purpose, terms, staging and the TNM system.
• Pathway for DCIS
  Pathway information
  Decision making and treatment options.
• Pathway for early breast cancer
  Pathway information
  Pathway, adjuvant treatment, Neo-adjuvant treatment and guidelines.
• Pathway information
  Treatment
  Overview and links to relevant articles.
• Patient info sheet
  Treatment
  Fact sheets about sleep, hot flushes, aromatase inhibitors and tamoxifen.
• Patient support
  Overview and links to relevant articles.
• Pregnancy associated breast cancer
  Specific populations
  Breast cancer diagnosed during pregnancy, breastfeeding or in the first year post-delivery.
• Prognostic tests
  Chemotherapy
  About prognostic tests, listings and their details.

Q

R

• Radiation therapy
  Breast cancer treatment
  Use, duration, type, alternative forms and planning of radiation therapy.
• Radiation therapy-induced skin reactions
  Skin care in oncology
  Skin reactions and grading criteria.
• Radiotherapy
  Breast cancer treatment
  Use, duration, type, alternative forms and planning of radiation therapy.
• Rash (acneiform and maculopapular)
  Skin care in oncology
  Contributing factors/causes and grading.
• Reconstruction
  Breast surgery
  Importance, immediate or delayed and types.
• Referral and Diagnostics
  Detection and diagnosis
  How to make a referral and criteria for high suspicion of breast cancer.
• Referral to genetic screening
  Family risk
  Where to refer patients for screening.
• Research
  Workforce
  Listing of categories of research.
• Risk Calculator
  Detection and diagnosis
  Risk Calculator purpose and efficacy.
• Risk of recurrence
  Patient Support
  Breast cancer can recur after treatment for the primary cancer has been completed.
• Risk-reducing interventions
  Family risk
  Suitability and effectiveness of interventions.

S

• Screen 70+
  Breast screening
  Eligibility for free screening and merits of screening 70+
• Screening for transgender population
  Breast screening
  Risks, the need to screen and guidelines.
• Self-examination
  Signs of breast cancer
  Importance of self examination, who should do it and resources for it.
• Side effects
  Patient Support
  Different sources of side effects.
• Side effects of chemotherapy
  Side effects
  Listing of short term and long term effects.
• Side effects of endocrine therapy
  Side effects
  List of effects and how to manage them.
• Side effects of radiation therapy
  Side effects
  Short term and long term impacts.
• Side effects of surgery
  Side effects
  Short-term and long-term complications.
• Side effects of targeted therapies
  Side effects
  Herceptin, perjeta, kadcyla, tykerb, bisphosphonates, ibrance
• Signs of breast cancer
  Detection and diagnosis
  Patients presenting with any of the nine symptoms of breast cancer should be referred to a breast clinic, regardless of their age, or date of their last mammogram
• Skin care in oncology
  Patient Support
  Effects on skin and nails from treatment and breast cancer.
• Specific populations
  Detection and diagnosis
  Breast cancer during pregnancy, in young women and in men.
• Stage 4
  Detection and diagnosis
  Advanced breast cancer, also known as metastatic breast cancer, secondary or stage 4 breast cancer is when cancer cells spread from the first (primary or early) cancer in the breast or axilla to other parts of the body
• Stages
  Referral and diagnostics
  Cancer is staged using the TNM system, which calculates how advanced a cancer is using anatomic factors
• Survivorship
  Patient Support
  Follow-up care and long-term side effects of treatment.
• Symptoms of breast cancer
  Signs of breast cancer
  The nine symptoms of breast cancer

T

• TNM system
  Referral and diagnostics
  Cancer is staged using the TNM system, which calculates how advanced a cancer is using anatomic factors
• Targeted therapy
  Breast cancer treatment
  How targeted therapies work and availability.
• Targeted therapy for HER2+ advanced breast cancer
  Targeted therapy
  Several targeted therapies available for HER2+ advanced breast cancer
• Targeted therapy for HER2+ early breast cancer
  Targeted therapy
  Use of Herzuma and other newer medicines
• Targeted therapy for HR+ advanced breast cancer
  Targeted therapy
  Therapies available for hormone receptor-positive advanced breast cancer.
• Targeted therapy for advanced breast cancer
  Targeted therapy
  Targeted therapies, availability and clinical trials.
• Targeted therapy for triple negative breast cancer
  Targeted therapy
  Funding and clinical trials
• Thermography
  Breast screening
  Efficacy of thermography
• Timely access to treatment
  Pathway information
  Standards of service provision and treatment pathways.
• Treatment
  Overview and links to relevant articles.
• Triple test
  Referral and diagnostics
  History, clinical breast exam, imaging and biopsy

U

V

W

• WLE
  Breast surgery
  Breast conserving surgery is the excision of the tumour with the aim of removing the cancer and leaving the breast looking as natural as possible.
• Wide local excision
  Breast surgery
  Breast conserving surgery is the excision of the tumour with the aim of removing the cancer and leaving the breast looking as natural as possible.
• Workforce
  BCFNZ offers research grants, fellowships, scholarships and workforce funding

X

Y

• Young women with breast cancer
  Specific populations
  400 women under the age of 44 are diagnosed with breast cancer

Z