While supportive services are recommended in guidelines and required by accreditation bodies, resources for supportive care are often a low priority and are often dependent on funding and the availability of resources. When supportive cancer care needs are underrecognized and undertreated, patients may experience negative outcomes that may include increased suffering, lower compliance with medications, reduced quality of life, longer hospitalizations, and decreased survival. Cancer-related financial challenges are also at play and can be associated with lower quality of life, reduced treatment adherence, and early mortality.1
Patients with breast cancer may have unmet supportive care needs during treatment, including symptom management of treatment-related toxicities and educational, psychosocial, and spiritual needs.2
The clinical progression patterns of metastatic breast cancer (MBC) are heterogeneous; patients experience acute and stable phases at different time points. The acute phase consists of rapid progressive symptomatic changes, whereas in the stable phase patients have relatively low symptom burden. Therefore, personalized interdisciplinary care is essential. The optimal palliative or supportive care in MBC is to provide comprehensive care that is individually prioritized to the patient’s disease status.3
