For Mary Smania, working with women who have breast cancer has always been a passion.
“So many of our lives are touched by breast cancer,” Smania said. “I’ve always had that personal connection.”
As an assistant professor in the College of Nursing, in addition to having her clinical practice by working with breast cancer patients and working on clinical partnerships within the college, Smania wants to help women like her grandmother and aunt.
Smania’s grandmother was diagnosed with bilateral breast cancer and did not discover her cancer until it was too late and passed away. In addition, her aunt also has breast cancer, but has done very well because it was diagnosed at a much earlier stage.
“It’s really important for women to get screened and to get treatment,” Smania said.
As part of her clinical practice, Smania provides many different resources to those women who have either benign breast disease or breast cancer.
“I work with them, if they are at high risk, on what recommendations to make in terms of screening for them," Smania said. "Once they have been diagnosed with breast cancer, I help with them getting connected with a surgeon and making sure they are getting the right treatment.”
Smania also helps coordinate testing for the BRCA mutation. She has created an app called BRCA Risk to help care providers evaluate women who have the genetic mutation.
“I developed an app to help primary care providers assess women who are at risk for the BRCA mutation,” Smania said. “I am presenting that project at the International Society of Nurses and Genetics”
The app is available on the Android and Apple platforms.
Even though October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, awareness about breast cancer can be spread throughout the year.
According to Smania, breast cancer is the most common cancer to women, second to skin cancer and more than 200,000 women are diagnosed each year.
Smania suggested women to have clinical breast exams during their annual exam or to do self breast exams every month, especially for women who don’t have the option of a mammogram yet. Once a woman turns 40, she should consider having a mammogram every year.
“If they notice anything, they should seek care, whether that is a lump, skin change, nipple discharge, that type of thing,” Smania said.