Supportive care for women with breast cancer should aim to meet their physical, social, psychological and spiritual needs, as well as providing their carers with the support they need to fulfil the carer role. These needs may include:
The need for timely well-communicated information about any aspect of their cancer care at any stage of their breast cancer journey
- social support needs such as being put in touch with someone else who has had a similar experience, or dealing with the impact of cancer on personal relationships
- psychological needs such as help to cope with worry or fears
- spiritual needs, which may be religious, existential or concerning any aspect of a woman or her carers’ spiritual selves
- physical needs such as how to cope with side effects of treatment
- practical needs such as assistance to arrange travel or accommodation, where to get financial advice or help with child care.
Breast Cancer Network Australia believes that timely and appropriate supportive care is an essential requirement for all women receiving breast cancer treatment in Australia. There is evidence that good supportive and psychosocial care leads to improved psychological wellbeing and better understanding and recall of information for women with breast cancer 1, 2.
Supportive care should be available to women with breast cancer with the knowledge that:
- The supportive care needs of women with breast cancer and their families vary from woman to woman and family to family. At different stages of a woman’s breast cancer journey she and her family may have differing supportive care needs.
- A woman with advanced breast cancer may have very different supportive care needs to the needs of women with early breast cancer.
- Supportive care needs must be considered in light of the individual woman’s social and cultural context.
- Supportive care needs must be considered in light of the woman and her carers’ perceived needs.
- Supportive care should be available, affordable and accessible for women and their families.
- Where women are identified as being at risk of anxiety and depression, appropriate referral mechanisms and access to affordable, psychosocial practitioners are required to ensure they receive appropriate psychosocial care.
- All women should have access to a wide range of consumer-focused information and support services throughout their treatment and beyond.
More information
The following websites have more information about supportive care:
- My Parents Cancer website
- Living with Cancer website
References
1. Psychosocial clinical practice guidelines: providing information, support and counselling for women with breast cancer NHMRC 2001
2. Clinical practice guidelines for the psychosocial care of adults with cancer NHMRC April 2003.
