Genitourinary team

Dr. Ewa Szumacher is a radiation oncologist at our Odette Cancer Centre, specializing in radiation treatment of breast and genitourinary malignancies.

Her research interests are focused on three aspects of medical education:

1. Needs assessments of patients and healthcare providers in radiotherapy practice
2. Enhancing patients' and healthcare providers' decisional preferences for radiotherapy treatment
3. Developing an interprofessional learning environment and creating modalities for continuing professional education in radiotherapy.

Her research aims to advance cancer care delivery by understanding the needs and challenges of healthcare providers and patients. This understanding has led to a body of research to strengthen the partnership between healthcare providers and patients through the use of sustainable education interventions.

Research awards:

Funded as principal investigator (PI): The development of the decision-aid investing patients' preferences for adjuvant radiotherapy and antiestrogen therapy versus antiestrogen therapy alone in patients 70 years or older with stage I, EP/PR positive, invasive breast cancer. (2008-2010)
Sponsor: Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation
Principal Investigator: Szumacher E
Co-Investigators: Paszat L, Angus J, Metcalfe K, Whelan T, Llewellyn-Thomas H
Amount: $121,076

Funded as co-P.I.: Exploring meanings of caring among health care professionals providing cancer care (2009)
Sponsor: Sunnybrook Practice-Based Research Award Grant
Principal Investigators: Osmar K, DasGupta T
Co-Investigators: Daley A, Szumacher E, Fitch M
Amount: $15,500

Selected publications:

1. Wong RK, Franssen E, Szumacher E, Connolly R, Evans M, Page B, Chow E, Hayter, C, Harth T, Andersson L, Pope J, Danjoux C. What do patients living with advanced cancer and their caregivers want to know? - A needs assessment. Support Care Cancer 10(5): 408-15, 2002 (CPA)

2. Szumacher E, Franssen E, Hayter C, Danjoux C, Chow E, Andersson L, Wong R, Loblaw A. Multidisciplinary radiation oncology palliative care rounds as a continuing educational activity implementing the Rapid Response Radiotherapy Program at the Toronto Sunnybrook Regional Cancer Centre. J Cancer Educ 18: 86-90, 2003. (PA)

3. Szumacher E, Lewellyn-Thomas HL, Wong R, Franssen E, Chow E, Danjoux C, Hayter C, Andersson L, Connolly R, Pope J, Barnes E. Palliative radiotherapy treatment for bone metastases: patients' treatments preferences. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 61:1473-1481, 2005. (PA)

4. Szumacher E. The feminist approach in the decision-making process for treatment of women with breast cancer. Ann Acad Med Singapore 35:655-661, 2006. (PA)

5. Szumacher E, Warner E, Zhang L, Kane G, Ackerman I, Nyhof-Young J, Agboola O, de Metz C, Rodrigues G, Voruganti S, Rappolt S. Ontario radiation oncology residents' needs in the first postgraduate year-residents' perspective survey. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 69(2): 512-517, 2007. (PA)

6. Szumacher E, Barbera L, Barnes E A, Keighley-Clarke T, Pressnail B, Matyas Y, Danjoux C, Zhang L, Nyhof -Young J. Improving Access to Radiotherapy Services in the Simcoe-Muskoka Region of Ontario - Needs Assessment Study. Can J Med Radiat Technol 2007; 38(3):7-16. (PA)

7. Szumacher E, Nicole Harnett, Valerie Kelly, Juanita Crook, Cyril Danjoux, Ruth Barker, Milton Woo, Kathy Mah, Ida Ackerman, Adam Dubrowski, Stuart Rose. The effectiveness of an educational intervention on the congruence of prostate and rectal contouring as compared to a gold standard in planning for three-dimensional radiotherapy for prostate cancer (3D-CRT). Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 76(2): 379-385, 2010. (PA)

8. Warner E, Chow E, Fairchild A, Franssen E, Paszat L, Szumacher E. Attitudes of Canadian Radiation Oncologists towards Post-lumpectomy Radiotherapy for Elderly Women with Stage I Hormone-responsive Breast Cancer. J Clin Oncol 2010; 22(2): 97-106. (SRA)

9. Wong J, D'Alimonte L, Angus J, Paszat L, Soren B, Szumacher E. What do older women with breast cancer want to know while undergoing adjuvant radiotherapy? Under review by the Journal of Cancer Education (SRA)

10. Szumacher E, Wong J, Barker R. The Interprofessional Radiation Oncology Rounds (IROR) as a new model of continuing education at the Odette Cancer Centre - Program Evaluation. Under review by the Journal of Medical Imaging and Radiation Sciences. (PA)

11. D'Alimonte L, Angus J, Wong J, Paszat L, Soren B, Szumacher E. Working towards a decision: A needs assessment to develop a decision aid in older women with early stage breast cancer. In preparation to Medical Decision Making (SRA)

12. Makhani L, Bradley R, Wong J, Jarvis A, Szumacher E. Remediation in Academic Medicine: Practice points based on existing literature. In preparation to the Journal Medical Teacher. (SRA)