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Breast Health Homepage

This Breast Health introductory course provides foundational theoretical and practical knowledge and skills including how to provide effective counseling regarding breast health. All components of this training are free, including registration, learning, testing, and a certificate of completion. This course is intended for physicians, nurses, and allied health professionals in training and in practice.

This Breast Health course was developed in partnership with the University of Florida through the affiliation of the course creator, Maryam Sattari, MD, MS, Associate Professor of Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine. Like all NextGenU courses, this course is competency-based and uses adapted Breast Health competencies outlined in Educational Objectives: Core Curriculum in Obstetrics and Gynecology, 10th Edition (designed by affiliates of the Education Committee of the Council on Resident Education in Obstetrics and Gynecology (CREOG)). It also uses resources from world-class organizations such as Johns Hopkins Medicine, the National Cancer Institute, and the  U.S. Preventive Task Force. The course was developed by Maryam Sattari, MD, MS with advice from Erica Frank, MD, MPH, and several faculty members of the University of Florida.

For a publication on this course’s efficacy, see “Building Public Health Capacity through Online Global Learning,” (2018), Open Praxis to see more research related to NextGenU.org’s education model, check out NextGenU.org's publication page. Subscribe to our newsletter to be notified of future updates, new courses, and to be part of our community.

There are 7 modules to complete, which provide: 

1. A basic introduction to the anatomy and physiology of the breast, benign disorders of the breast; 
2. Routine screening approaches to selected diseases of the breast;
3. Epidemiology and risk assessment of breast cancer;
4. Basic mechanisms of genetic inheritance of breast cancer, and diagnosis of breast cancer.

The course requires the completion of all peer activities. At the end of each lesson, there is a practice quiz. At the end of the course, after you’ve completed each lesson, quiz, and activity, you’ll have access to a final exam, and a chance to assess the training. Once you’ve passed that last test, you will be able to download a certificate of completion from NextGenU.org and our course’s co-sponsoring organizations (listed above). We keep all of your personal information confidential, never sell any of your information, and only use anonymized data for research purposes, and we are also happy to report your testing information and share your work with anyone (your school, employer, etc.) at your request. We hope that you will find this a rewarding learning experience, and we count on your assessment and feedback to help us improve this training for future students.

You may browse this course for free to learn for your personal enrichment; there are no requirements.

To obtain a certificate

• Show in the registration fields that you have the appropriate prerequisites to be certified. This course requires a college-level degree.
• Complete all the reading requirements.
• Complete all quizzes.
• Complete 5 peer activity and associated certification quizzes.
• Successfully complete the final exam with a minimum of 70%  and a maximum of 3 attempts.
• Complete the self and course evaluation forms.

To obtain credit 

• Complete all requirements listed above for the certificate. 
• Your learning institution or workplace should approve the partner-university-sponsored NextGenU.org course for educational credit, as they would for their learner taking a course anywhere.  
• NextGenU.org is happy to provide your institution with:
• a link to and description of the course training, so they can see all its components, including the cosponsoring universities and other professional organization cosponsors; 
• your grade on the final exam;
• your work products (e.g. peer and mentored activities), and any other required or optional shared materials that you produce and authorize to share with them;  
• your evaluations -- self-, peer-, and [for mentored courses] mentor assessments;
• a copy of your certificate of completion, with the co-sponsoring universities and other organizations listed.

We hope that you will find this a rewarding learning experience, and we count on your assessment and feedback to help us improve this training for future students.

Next Steps

• Complete the registration form.
• Begin the course with Module 1: Anatomy of the Breast

Module 1: Anatomy of the Breast

Competency covered in this module: 

• Basic Science/Mechanisms of Disease: Anatomy

Module 1: Lesson 1: Anatomy of the Breast

Learning Objective:

• Describe the gross and histologic anatomy of the breast.

Click here to start this lesson

• Breast Anatomy (7 mins)
• Anatomy Atlases - Atlas of Microscopic Anatomy - A Functional Approach: Companion to Histology and Neuroanatomy: Second Edition (13 mins)
• Anatomy of the nipple and breast ducts (15 mins)

• Quiz 1v1 M1L1

Module 2: Physiology of the Breast

Competency covered in this module: 

• Basic Science/Mechanisms of Disease: Physiology
  

Module 2: Lesson 1: Physiology of the Breast

Learning Objectives:

• Describe the major physiologic changes that occur to the breast during pregnancy.
  
• Describe the physiologic changes that occur at time of puberty and menopause.

Click here to start this lesson

• Health Library: Normal Breast Development and Changes (6 mins)

• Breastfeeding Protocols for Health Care Providers (15 mins)

• Quiz 2v1 M2L1

• PRA1 - Review Activity 1: Slide presentation

Module 3: Benign Disorders of the Breast

Competency covered in this module: 

• Benign Disorders of the Breast

Module 3: Lesson 1: Benign Disorders of the Breast

Learning Objectives:

• Describe the clinical history and the principal pathophysiologic conditions that affect the breast such as the following:  (a) Breast mass, (b) Nipple discharge, (c) Pain, (d) Infection (mastitis), (e) Asymmetry, (f) Excessive size, and (g) Underdevelopment.
• Perform a focussed physical examination to evaluate for an abnormality of the breast.

• Breast Masses (Breast Lumps) (8 mins)
• Diagnosis and Management of Fibroadenomas in the Adolescent Breast (3 mins)
• Nipple Discharge (8 mins)
• Common Breast Problems (22 mins)
• Breast infection (3 mins)
• Breast Asymmetry (10 mins)
• The Adolescent Breast (3 mins)
• The Adolescent Breast (5 mins)
• Evaluation of Breast Disorders (10 mins)

• Follow-up of Abnormal Breast Findings (20 mins)
• Mastalgia (Breast Pain) (3 mins)
• Congenital abnormalities of the breast (27 mins)
• Hyperplastic Breast Anomalies in the Female Adolescent Breast (21 mins)
• Hypoplastic Breast Anomalies in the Female Adolescent Breast (26 mins)
• A Practical Guide to Clinical Medicine: A comprehensive physical examination and clinical education site for medical students and other health care professionals: Breast Examination (16 mins)
• Breast Cancer / Breast Self-Examination (BSE) (15 mins)

• Quiz 3v1 M3L1

• PRA2-Review Activity 2: Handout: Breast awareness

Module 4: Routine Screening for Selected Diseases of the Breast

Module 4: Lesson 1: Routine Screening for Selected Diseases of the Breast

Learning Objective:

• Evaluate and manage breast disorders such as the following: (1) Mastitis, (2) Galactorrhea, (3) Mastodynia, and (4) Breast Masses.

• Benign Breast Disease: When to treat, when to reassure, when to refer (35 mins)
• Evaluation of Palpable Breast Masses (30 mins)

• The Evaluation of Common Breast Problems (25 mins)

• Quiz 4v1 M4L1

• PRA3-Review Activity 3: Case Study: Benign breast disorder

Module 5: Epidemiology and Risk Assessment for Breast Cancer

Competency covered in this module: 

• Epidemiology and Risk Assessment for Breast Cancer

Module 5: Lesson 1: Epidemiology and Risk Assessment for Breast Cancer

• Identification and management of women with a family history of breast cancer: Practical guide for clinicians. (19 mins)
• Importance of a Personal History of Breast Cancer as a Risk Factor for the Development of Subsequent Breast Cancer: Results From Screening Breast MRI (20 mins)
• Breast Cancer Prevention (PDQ) - Health Professional Version (14 mins)
• Breast cancer statistics, 2013 (39 mins)
• Breast Cancer Risk Assessment Tool (5 mins)
• American Cancer Society Guidelines on Nutrition and Physical Activity for Cancer Prevention - Reducing the Risk of Cancer with Healthy Food Choices and Physical Activity (150 mins)
• Breast Cancer: Medications for Risk Reduction (45 mins)
• Cancer Screening in the United States, 2016: A Review of Current American Cancer Society Guidelines and Current Issues in Cancer Screening (60 mins)
• Final Recommendation Statement - Breast Cancer: Screening (36 mins)
• Genetic Counseling for Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer (20 mins)
• Tobacco Use and Women’s Health
• Alcohol and Cancer in the WHO European Region

• Familial breast cancer: classification, care and managing breast cancer and related risks in people with a family history of breast cancer (6 mins)
• Risks and Benefits of Estrogen Plus Progestin in Healthy Postmenopausal Women: Principal Results From the Women's Health Initiative Randomized Controlled Trial (30 mins)
• American Cancer Society Guidelines for Breast Screening with MRI as an Adjunct to Mammography (67 mins)

• Quiz 5v1 M5L1

• PRA4-Review Activity 4: Educational hand-out for patients

Module 6: Basic Mechanisms of Genetic Inheritance

Module 6: Lesson 1: Basic Mechanisms of Genetic Inheritance

• Your Guide to Understanding Genetic Conditions: Breast Cancer (9 mins)
• Final Recommendation Statement: BRCA-Related Cancer: Risk Assessment, Genetic Counseling, and Genetic Testing (42 mins)

• Genetics of breast cancer: a topic in evolution (31 mins)
• BRCA1 and BRCA2: Cancer Risk and Genetic Testing (4 mins)

• Quiz 6v1 M6L1

• Discussion Question: Harms and benefits of testing for BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations

Module 7: Diagnosis of Invasive Carcinoma of the Breast

Competency covered in this module: 

• Diagnosis of Invasive Carcinoma of the Breast

Module 7: Lesson 1: Diagnosis of Invasive Carcinoma of the Breast

Learning Objectives:

• Explain to the patient the appropriate diagnostic tests for evaluating a suspicious breast lesion.
• Describe the indications for other diagnostic studies, such as the following:  (a) Mammography, (b) Ultrasonography, (c) Magnetic resonance imaging, (d) Core-needle biopsy, and (e) Excisional biopsy.

• What Is Breast Cancer? (4 mins)
• Pathogenesis, prevention, diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer (53 mins)
• Mammograms (70 mins)
• The American Society of Breast Surgeons - Performance and Practice Guidelines for Excisional Breast Biopsy (2 mins)
• Magnetic resonance imaging in breast cancer: A literature review and future perspectives. (26 mins)

• Common Breast Problems (20 mins)

• Quiz 7v1 M7L1

• Peer Review Activity 5: Write quiz questions (optional)

Final Exam

• Final Exam

Course and Self Evaluation & Certificate

In this section, you can provide feedback about this course to help us make NextGenU.org better. Once evaluations are completed, you will be able to download your certificate of completion.

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• Course Evaluation
• Self Evaluation

Course Activities