What is supportive care?
“those health services and related activities designed to help patients and their families with their cancer experience during the diagnostic, treatment, follow-up, and palliative phases.
Thus, supportive cancer care includes not only issues of physical or symptom support, but other domains, such as instrumental and social care, the need for information, psychologic support, and spiritual needs.” - Whelan 1997
Supportive care is meant to respond to:
physical, informational, emotional, psychological, social, spiritual, and practical needs - Cancer Care Ontario 2011
Despite studies having demonstrated a high prevalence of medical and non-medical needs in persons diagnosed with cancer, research on how to best provide support for persons with cancer is in its infancy.
Study Goals
To improve our understanding of perspectives on supportive care (SC) for women with advanced breast cancer (ABC) in NS, informing future research.
- Explore what SC means from the perspective of women with ABC, their family members, and their care providers;
- Understand the SC needs of women with ABC and their family members, and how these are being (or may be) met; and
- Identify areas for future research related to SC for women diagnosed with ABC.