Research

Featured Research Areas

My research focuses on improving shared decision making around cancer screening and treatment in the care of older adults, particularly around breast cancer screening and treatment. 

Breast cancer screening decision making

the decide together website page

As a medical resident, I realized that many older women have screening mammograms despite few data on the ... 

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Estimating overall prognosis for older adults

the ePrognosis website page

To help clinicians and older adults consider life expectancy in care decisions, I developed and validated an index to ... 

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Breast cancer treatment decision making

shared decision making image

To better understand breast cancer outcomes among older women, I examined breast cancer characteristics ...

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Our research in the news...

  • A Women in a MRI Machine

    Do Cancer Centers Push Too Many Tests?

    Paula Span 

    Studies found that centers provided incomplete or unbalanced information, which could lead to unnecessary screenings and health complications in older adults. 

    You can find the full article...

  • A Patient in a Gown

    Are Mammograms Worthwhile for Older Women?

    Jane E. Brody

    Some might be better off not knowing they have breast cancer because they are likely to die of other causes long before breast cancer would threaten their health. 

    You can find the full...

  • Hands Tossing Mammogram Images Out the Window

    Aging Out of the Mammogram

    Paula Span

    For many women, regular breast cancer screening is standard medical protocol. But for older women, should it be? 

    You can find the full article and all the details on The New York Times...