Treatment Information and Navigation Program for New Patients With Breast Cancer in Malaysia

PurposeAdvancements in medical treatment with wider treatment options have made breast cancer (BC) care more complex. Short consultation time with physicians, patient fears, and poor coping skills at the time of diagnosis may affect a patient’s decision, causing treatment delays and nonadherence. The main reasons for advanced BC presentation in Malaysia are a delay in making a treatment decision and poor breast health literacy on the disease and its treatment outcomes. To address this gap, we developed an audio-visual tool on multimodal treatments; adverse effects; navigating admission, discharge, and follow-up; and advice on diet and exercise to maintain a healthy lifestyle during the survivorship period in layperson language in Malay, Mandarin, and English. This study aims to assess its effectiveness in improving patient knowledge and satisfaction.MethodsA pilot study of 50 patients found that patients needed face-to-face interaction to watch the video. Hence, a breast care nurse–led orientation was dev...