Susan G. Komen’s newest educational series, Under the Microscope, is designed to make breast cancer education more accessible for everyone by breaking down complex scientific concepts into engaging, digestible, short-form video content. Understanding breast cancer can be overwhelming. Medical terminology, complex scientific concepts and advancing treatment options can make it difficult to find information that is both accurate and easy to understand.
Research shows that having the ability to make informed health decisions is a top priority for people with breast cancer, but the information they need is not always presented in a clear or accessible way. This means that accessible, actionable and easy-to-understand educational resources in different learning formats are essential to help people make informed treatment and care decisions that can lead to improved health outcomes.
The amount of health information available through the internet and social media has grown dramatically over the past decade, providing people with access to health-related content. However, not all of this information is accurate or trustworthy. In a recent survey, 90% of physicians reported that online misinformation has become more prevalent over the last five years. More than half of these physicians indicated that this significantly affects their ability to provide high-quality patient care. For patients, inaccurate information can create confusion and anxiety, making it harder to make informed decisions about their health and treatment.
As a patient advocate, Advocates and Science member and former Komen Scientific Advisory Board member Sandy Finestone explains, “Patients need the information they need, not all of the information, but they need the information that’s particular to their diagnosis.” For many people newly diagnosed with breast cancer, understanding complex information about the factors that affect their prognosis and treatment, such as biomarkers, and their treatment options can be one of the most challenging parts of the journey.
To help address this challenge, Komen created Under the Microscope, a monthly educational video series featuring videos under three minutes long, so you can watch them anywhere, anytime. Under the Microscope is designed for a broad audience and provides evidence-based information that supports informed decision-making. Topics span from foundational science to biomarkers, side effects, survivorship, screening, genetic testing and treatments. The series breaks down complex information into clear explanations using visual storytelling and relatable analogies.
For example, a recent episode of Under the Microscope explored an innovative class of targeted therapies called antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs). ADCs are designed to deliver chemotherapy directly to cancer cells by combining a targeted antibody, a chemotherapy payload and a linker that combines antibody and chemotherapy together. In this episode, viewers learn how ADCs identify specific breast cancer markers such as HER2 and TROP-2, why different ADCs are used for different breast cancer types and how these therapies work once they reach their target. The video also discusses potential side effects and highlights the importance of maintaining communication with their health care team during treatment. ADCs remain an active area of research and are becoming an option for more and more people with breast cancer, making them an ideal topic for Under the Microscope, which aims to translate emerging breast cancer science and treatment advances into information people can understand and use.
The need for clear, easy-to-understand breast cancer education is something patient advocates consistently emphasize. Finestone notes that while the health care community provides support, patients are often expected to absorb complex information about their diagnosis, including biomarkers and treatment options, in a very short period of time. She also points out that medical information is often communicated in a language patients do not easily understand, making resources that translate complex concepts into plain language very important. “Having someone there…that can help bring that language into understandable proportions and meaning for a patient is huge,” she says.
Advocates also stress the importance of providing trusted information in an era of online misinformation. As Finestone explains, “The internet is a wonderful source of information, but, oh my, it has a lot of misinformation there as well.” She encourages patients to seek reliable information, like information from komen.org, that is relevant to their specific diagnosis and treatment options.
Under the Microscope joins Komen’s other educational programs designed to deliver evidence-based health information in multiple formats that meet our community members where they’re at. For more in-depth information, check out Komen’s Know More blog series. To learn about the latest advancements in breast cancer, check out our Breast Cancer Breakthroughs video series. To learn more about clinical trials, explore our Spotlight on Clinical Trials blog and podcast series.
New videos are added to Komen’s YouTube channel monthly. Explore the full Under the Microscope playlist and start learning and sharing these resources with others.
Thank you to our sponsors for supporting the Under the Microscope series:
