Traversing the path of metastatic breast cancer with patient support programs

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The Covid-19 pandemic has had many and very diverse consequences in the National Health System, and one of them is the lack of face-to-face care for chronic patients or those with other pathologies that require monitoring over time. Various patient associations have expressed their concern in this regard and a certain feeling of loneliness in the face of the problems and doubts arising from their pathology. In the case of patients with metastatic breast cancer, a disease that requires health care in different hospital units, the feeling of “Lack of accompaniment” it has been present, especially in the months of confinement.

Association and industry patient support programs are a resource for women with metastatic breast cancer

In this scenario of limited access to specialists, such as the one caused by Covid-19, patient support programs from associations and the pharmaceutical industry itself are a resource that patients with this type of breast cancer can turn to. . One of them is Lilly Plus, launched by the pharmaceutical company Lilly.

These programs provide patients, through specialized nursing, specific training, awareness and support materials. In addition, it is also a useful tool for health professionals, since they are a resource to ensure that the patient follows the treatment correctly.

Metastatic breast cancer is usually the result of previously diagnosed and treated disease progression. So the road that these patients have already traveled is long. From Lilly they point out that the patients “They have to live with a very difficult situation, due to all that the disease entails and that affects many aspects of their life.”

This type of support program offers accompaniment and support, resolves doubts and tries to improve the quality of life of cancer patients

Against this reality, Lilly’s support programs try to “Help them to better deal with different situations, offering resources for frequent questions and clarifying doubts”, focusing on “Improve Life Quality”. For this reason, the program is made available to patients undergoing treatment with any of Lilly’s medications through medical specialists, in this case, oncologists. In the case of the Lilly Plus program in cancer, it offers the accompaniment and support of a specialized oncology nurse to treat each person individually. Since it was created in 2019, it has supported 133 people.

The specialized nurses of the support service provide telephone service, helping to alleviate the emotional burden of the disease, among other aspects. During the telephone sessions, they resolve the doubts that each patient may have about their disease or their symptoms and help them to recognize which ones they should urgently treat by contacting the hospital.

Nutritional counseling is another area on which the support program for women with metastatic breast cancer affects

Nutritional advice is another of the areas on which the program affects. Cancer treatments can have interactions or adverse effects directly related to diet and nutrition. In addition, a good diet is essential to be able to carry out the treatments better. Within the nutritional advice offered by specialized nurses, recipes developed by the Fundaciò Alícia kitchen research center are provided, which in turn collaborates with the Catalan Institute of Oncology.

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