Providers who treat metastatic breast cancer (MBC) must balance aggressive clinical interventions with high-touch supportive care. The disease has no road map, and as it progresses, patients may benefit not only from proven treatments but also from the comfort and emotional support of palliative or hospice care.
Many feel like this transition is giving up, but it’s more of a shift in care goals. By fostering an open dialogue about palliative care for breast cancer, you can empower patients to take proactive steps to obtain support for their evolving needs. Follow a simple framework to discuss the differences between palliative care and breast cancer hospice with your patients and help them navigate next steps.
As a mode of care designed to support individuals with serious and chronic medical conditions, palliative care is often ideal to enhance physical comfort and quality of life for MBC patients. Many enjoy the flexibility of receiving care at home or in a clinical setting no matter their needs. This care may include:
Data suggests that knowledge about palliative care for breast cancer in particular is sorely lacking. In fact, studies confirm that most MBC patients don’t even know they can access this care and, therefore, often don’t receive it.
Providers should explain the role and benefits of palliative care to give patients the best care available. While palliative care for breast cancer is often seen as a later-stage treatment, it should be positioned as an extra layer of support, not a sign that curative treatments failed.
With access to palliative care, patients can better manage their treatment, including dealing with side effects and maintaining the physical strength to continue prescribed therapies. But one of the most valuable benefits is the intangible support for the journey ahead. Palliative care offers emotional support in the face of the uncertainty cancer brings, relieving the psychological stress of treatment.
However, because it’s not a cure in and of itself, palliative care helps patients determine their needs in consultation with their care team. Many use it as a bridge to hospice care for when comfort takes priority over curative treatments.
Hospice care improves comfort for individuals with life-limiting conditions, such as MBC, when curative treatments are no longer viable. Support the challenges of breast cancer with hospice in clinical settings or at home, and personalize these care services for each patient’s physical, emotional, social, and spiritual needs.
Hospice for MBC patients may include:
Transitioning to hospice is ideal when the only thing left to do is to manage a patient’s symptoms and their quality of life. Timely hospice referrals empower MBC patients to avoid a revolving door of emergency department visits. Research shows that about 50% of patients with serious illnesses visit the emergency department (ED) during the final month of life, while 75% visit the ED in the last six months. Help them maximize their comfort in a home setting instead.
Because hospice ceases curative treatments, it’s ideal for improving patient comfort. Consider discussing breast cancer hospice after your patient’s care plan has exhausted other options with little relief and/or they have a prognosis of six months or less.
Patients in this state often can no longer function independently, battling intolerable treatment side effects. Help them reclaim control and live their remaining days with dignity. Work together to create a hospice plan to shift from extending their life to improving comfort.
Determining the best path between palliative care for breast cancer and hospice depends on each patient’s treatment goals, disease progression, and preferred care environment. Most patients would rather stay in their homes than be admitted to a hospital or care community, and with WesleyLife at Home, they can.
WesleyLife at Home supports the independence, health, and well-being of MBC patients wherever they call home. Admit patients to palliative or hospice care around the clock to activate immediate medical and nonmedical assistance, including therapeutic support, condition management, assistance with activities of daily living, and even home organization.
Protect your patients’ independence. Learn more or refer a patient to WesleyLife to expand their care options.