Living With Metastatic Breast Cancer? Here’s How Palliative Care Can Help
By Mary D. Chamberlin, MD
A diagnosis of metastatic breast cancer can feel overwhelming, but you don’t have to navigate it alone. Alongside your cancer treatment, palliative care provides extra support—helping you manage symptoms, reduce stress, and focus on what matters most to you. It also provides support for your family and the people who care for you.
What is Palliative Care?
Palliative care (pronounced pal-lee-uh-tiv) is specialized medical care for people living with a serious illness, like metastatic breast cancer. This type of care focuses on relief from the symptoms and stress of illness, with the goal of improving quality of life for both you and your family. Palliative care is provided by a specially trained team of doctors, nurses, social workers, chaplains, and other specialists who work together with your other doctors to provide an extra layer of support. It is appropriate at any age and any stage of a serious illness, and it can be provided alongside curative treatment.
Think of it as an extra layer of support.
How Palliative Care Helps with Metastatic Breast Cancer
Each person experiences metastatic breast cancer differently. While this may cause uncertainty and stress, palliative care can help you and your family cope along the way. Here are four ways palliative care can help:
1. Symptom Relief
Metastatic breast cancer and its treatments can cause symptoms such as extreme fatigue, pain, swelling, difficulty with sleep, and challenges with intimacy or sexual function. A palliative care team would work with your oncologist to help manage these symptoms with medications, therapies, and practical strategies so you can feel as comfortable as possible.
Other common challenges include anxiety, depression, and body image concerns. Palliative care teams are prepared to help with these, and they can also connect you with counseling if you need additional support.
2. Emotional Support
In addition to anxiety and depression, a metastatic breast cancer diagnosis can bring up feelings of fear about the future and add stress to your relationships. Palliative care specialists offer counseling, coping strategies, and support for both patients and family members, helping everyone navigate the emotional challenges of living with serious illness.
3. Better Communication and Coordination of Care
Because care often involves multiple doctors and treatments, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed or confused. Palliative care teams work closely with your oncologist and other specialists to make sure everyone is on the same page. They help you understand your options, ask important questions, and ensure your care plan reflects what matters most to you.
4. Guidance for Decision-Making and Planning
Living with metastatic breast cancer often involves making complex decisions about treatments. Palliative care teams can help you weigh options, set goals for your care, and plan for the future—so you and those who care for you can make informed choices with confidence.
When Should You Ask Your Doctor About Palliative Care?
You can request palliative care at any time after a receiving a diagnosis of metastatic breast cancer—whether you’re newly diagnosed, beginning treatment, or are living with long-term side effects. The goal is to help you feel supported, manage symptoms, and create a care plan that fits your needs. Remember, palliative care works together with your oncology care—it’s an extra layer of support, not a replacement for your current care team.
If you or someone you care for are living with metastatic breast cancer, you can ask your doctor for a palliative care referral at any point. Plus, you can receive palliative care in a doctor’s office, hospital, or even home. Visit the Palliative Care Provider Directory to find palliative care near you.
About GetPalliativeCare.org
GetPalliativeCare.org is an online resource for patients and families that focuses on providing information about palliative care. For more information about palliative care and to see if it’s right for you, visit GetPalliativeCare.org.
The site is provided by the Center to Advance Palliative Care.
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