How to Use BrEx

A Decision Tool to Provide the Personalized Benefits of Exercise

The Decision Tool calculators use information on a breast cancer survivor’s age, stage, hormone receptor status, completed treatment, body mass index, race, ethnicity, and comorbidities (see health questions) to individualize the outcomes associated with different levels of exercise (none, moderate, high) in breast cancer survivors.

The individualized outcomes include breast cancer related death and life-years gained associated with different levels of exercise based on individual input factors.

Health questions related to income, education, and urban/rural location links to resources and customized messages to help discuss barriers to exercise.

The decision tab of the tool is designed to help breast cancer survivors and their health care providers assess which way they are leaning regarding exercise.

The information on outcomes of exercise are derived from simulation models created by the team led by Dr. Jinani Jayasekera at the Health Disparities and Decision Sciences research laboratory at NIH. Please see the Scientific Basis page for more information.

Counseling

Health Care Professional Talking Points

This section of the site provides talking points and strategies for health care professionals to use to engage breast cancer survivors in shared decision making around exercise.

EMR Documentation

This site provides example text that may be cut and pasted into electronic medical records to help document conversations about exercise with breast cancer survivors.