Nancy Chun, Medical Director at GSK, shared on LinkedIn:
“Thank you OncoDaily for sharing my story.
Through my personal journey, I hope to help address an unmet need for more open, honest conversations about pelvic health and the side effects of medical therapies, including endocrine therapy.
As a patient, I’ve shared the words I used to describe my own symptoms. Rather than asking only whether a patient has ‘vulvar or vaginal dryness,’ I encourage clinicians to ask women how they would describe what they’re experiencing. The language patients use can reveal symptoms that might otherwise go unrecognized. In my article, I share some of that vocabulary.
I hope medical research and the literature will begin to capture the granular, heterogeneous experiences of women undergoing endocrine therapy, chemotherapy, radiation, and other cancer treatments. These treatments can cause intimate symptoms that profoundly affect quality of life, yet too many patients still report that their intimate health concerns are not being addressed.
Perhaps part of the problem is that we were never taught the language to ask – or the vocabulary to describe – these experiences adequately. But we can change that. By listening more carefully to patients and incorporating their own words into clinical research and practice, we have an opportunity to improve care.
There is always room for progress, and there is reason for hope.”
The Advocacy Lens – Breast Cancer Awareness Month Special
