Newswise — October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. To help reporters develop stories about various aspects of breast cancer and how to detect the disease in its early stages, the University of South Carolina has compiled a list of faculty experts. To interview a faculty member, contact the staff member listed with each expert.
Swann Arp Adams is an associate professor in the College of Nursing and co-director of the Cancer Survivorship Center. Her research focuses on understanding and intervening upon cancer health disparities experienced by African-Americans. She is available to discuss her recent research on Medicaid coverage expansion and the implications for gaps in cancer care.
With cancer affecting more people each day, the importance of having emotional support is critical for the patients and their families. Sue Heiney, a professor with the College of Nursing, is available to discuss her research on promoting social connections in African-American breast cancer patients. She has developed programs that are currently being used nationally and internationally for children who have a parent undergoing cancer treatments.
Tisha Felder is a research assistant professor with the Cancer Prevention and Control Program and the College of Nursing. She is available to discuss disparities in breast cancer survivors who adhere to their medication guidelines. Lack of adherence, which mostly affects underserved populations, is associated with an increased risk of mortality.
De Anna Cox is a clinical associate professor in the College of Nursing who is passionate about educating women about health care prevention and promotion, including breast cancer screening. As an educational provider for breast exams, she is available to discuss and demonstrate (on a specially designed t-shirt with directions) how she teaches nurse practitioner students how to perform breast self-exams, which are the most effective way to detect breast cancer in its earliest stages.
Bernardine Pinto, professor and associate dean for research in the College of Nursing, is also the principal investigator for a $2.5 million grant from the National Institute for Health to continue research on the long term effects of telephone-based exercise programs offered to breast cancer survivors to encourage more physical activity. Previous research has found that the intervention significantly increased the amount of exercise that survivors engaged in after three and six months. Additional research will enhance the intervention to support the adoption of exercise and maintenance through 12 months with the hope of offering this kind of peer mentoring trough community-based cancer care organizations. She is available to discuss the positive effects of peer support and physical activity in breast cancer patients and survivors.
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