Abstract
BACKGROUND: Breast surgical oncology is a unique field that involves complex cancer management and longstanding patient interactions with the healthcare system, making it potentially challenging for patients with low health literacy. The purpose of this review is to summarize the current knowledge regarding health literacy in breast cancer and identify future directions for research and potential intervention in breast surgical oncology. DATA SOURCES: A search of relevant literature querying PubMed and Science Direct was performed and included the following keywords: health literacy, breast cancer, breast surgical oncology, surgery, outcomes, prevention, screening, healthcare utilization, chronic disease. CONCLUSIONS: Limited health literacy may detrimentally affect understanding and outcomes in breast surgical oncology. Identifying ways providers can improve patient understanding and utilization of health information is important, and surgeons may have a pivotal role. Further studies addressing health literacy in breast surgical oncology is needed in order to better optimize care of patients.