The importance of palliative care in the treatment of patients with breast cancer: a literature review

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.22533/at.ed.1594772417089

• Palavras-chave: Palliative care; Breast cancer.

• Keywords: Palliative care; Breast cancer.

• Abstract:

  Palliative care is a practice implemented within the scope of health care, aimed at individuals in intense suffering due to a life-threatening disease, such as breast cancer. Their purpose is to provide relief from the suffering experienced by the patient. The objective of this review was to analyze and expose the demands pertinent to palliative care for patients diagnosed with breast cancer. A search for studies was carried out on the United States National Library of Medicine (PubMed) and Virtual Health Library (VHL) platforms, and a total of 27 scientific articles were included after applying inclusion and exclusion criteria. The results indicate that palliative care is extremely relevant, contributing to the relief of symptoms caused by breast cancer and its treatment, with emphasis on pain as the strongest predictor of quality of life and as a significant impact on the performance of daily activities. Such care should be implemented early, for patients, family members, and companions. In conclusion, health professionals must be aware of the benefits of palliative care and offer it early to breast cancer patients.