Toolkit to support patients with breast cancer and palliative needs

Women with a life limiting breast cancer diagnosis will have access to a toolkit to help them understand and access palliative care thanks to an international grant awarded to Palliative Care Australia (PCA) and Breast Cancer Network Australia (BCNA) earlier this month.
The organisations will work together to develop resources specifically aimed at women with secondary breast cancer, a group who often struggle to find support.
A number of resources will be developed, including brochures, digital media and website material so women can have better access to care and are more informed about the stages of their illness.
“We want women with secondary breast cancer to feel empowered to make decisions about accessing palliative care, that palliative care can assist with symptoms such as pain or nausea in order to improve quality of life and help them live well,” said BCNA CEO Christine Nolan.
This comes after a report issued this week by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) on breast cancer in young women aged 20-39,  Breast cancer in young women: Key facts about breast cancer in women in their 20s and 30s.
‘This report informs our understanding of the impact of breast cancer among young women at a national level, and supports our work in improving survival outcomes and addressing psychosocial issues specific to young women,’ said Cancer Australia CEO Professor Helen Zorbas, who also noted, ‘Although the number of young women diagnosed with breast cancer has increased over time, the incidence rate has remained stable over the past three decades’.
‘These young women are at a life stage in which they are building careers, establishing relationships and planning for a family. Issues such as infertility, early menopause and body image as well as time away from work and family can have a substantial impact, with long term physical, psychological and social effects’.
The report states in 2015, it is projected that 795 young women will be diagnosed with breast cancer, and 65 will die from it, which is an average of 2 diagnoses a day and 1 death a week.
‘When looking at breast cancer in young women, we see a higher proportion of very large breast cancers (>=50mm) diagnosed (8%) than in older women (6%). Very large breast cancers are associated with lower survival than small breast cancers (<15mm)’ said AIHW spokesperson Justin Harvey.
However, even for small breast cancers—which tend to be associated with more treatment options and improved survival—young women have lower survival (93%) than women aged 40 and over (99%).