Research & Program Areas

The Challenge of Individualizing Treatments for Breast Cancer

CMCD affiliates Sarah Hawley, PhD and Nancy Janz are core investigators in CanSORT – a U-M research program under the direction of Steven Katz, MD that received $13.7 million in 2012 from the National Cancer Institute to lead research addressing the challenges of individualizing treatments for patients with early-stage breast cancer. The program aims to examine the how best to individualize treatments, improve decision quality for patients, accelerate the dissemination of research findings, and advance methods in translational research focused on quality of care.

CanSort includes two program projects that use data from 4600 newly-diagnosed breast cancer patients and their clinicians to identify factors associated with evaluative tests, treatment choice, and decision quality. A third project is an intervention study that tests the usefulness of an online decision tool to help women make treatment decisions. The scope of research also has been expanded to address the perspectives and roles of informal decision support networks for patients deliberating about breast cancer treatment options.

For more information contact Dr. Sarah Hawley at sarahawl@umich.edu

Categories:

Cancer, Community, Informal Caregivers, Physicians & Providers

Return to Research and Program Areas