Psychosocial support needs of Slovak breast cancer survivors one and three years after breast conserving surgery

Abstract

Objective: To assess psychosocial support needs among Slovak breast cancer survivors treated by breast conserving surgery. Methods: Patients responded the EORTC QLQ 30.3 questionaire and the self-elaborated BCPN (Breast Cancer Psychosocial Needs) questionaire one and three years after breast conserving surgery (BSC) and modified radical mastectomy (MRM). Results: Assessment of psychosocial distress related to breast cancer treatment have shown a remarkable time-realted increase in scores of emotional distress symptoms among breast cancer patients treated with breast-conserving surgery. Analysis of psychosocial support needs of these patients has shown, that a substantial part of breast cancer survivors are feeling inadequate benefitial psychosocial support from health care providers (informational support), social oncology workers, and psychologists (emotional support). Insufficient targeted psychosocial support involved individual as well as group intervention (provided by breast cancer patients surviving the disease for long time). Conclusion: Unmet psychosocial needs from health care providers has been percieved as a major factor harming patients ability to cope with the disease and to maintain their family, marital and social functioning (Tab. 2, Fig. 1, Ref. 22).