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Psychological Support in Breast Cancer Patients: A Personalized Approach

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Breast Cancer

Abstract

The discovery of an insidious disease such as breast cancer most of the time is experienced like a life interruption creating a large gap between the life before and after the diagnosis. The main goal in women’s life, together with fighting the disease, is therefore that of re-establishing the natural life balance or, in other words, repairing the biographic rift.

This process of reconstruction is not exempt from psychological and emotional suffering. Women’s quality of life could be damaged, and scientific evidence has stressed that adopting an interdisciplinary approach is the best way to re-establish it again. In this perspective, a biopsychosocial model appears to be the best option for caring, where the patient is considered as a complex system characterized by physical, psychological and social aspects and where constant changes and adaptation to the physical, relational and cultural environment are required. Adhering to this model means to empower patients in the disease management, actively involving them and their family when needed, in treatment decision-making, in order to promote decisions that are consistent with their values, preferences and daily life management. This personalized approach, by means of an increase in patients’ autonomy and self-determination, results to positively affect clinical outcomes.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Applied Research Division for Cognitive and Psychological Science, European Institute of Oncology, Milan, 20141, Italy

    Chiara Fioretti, Ketti Mazzocco & Gabriella Pravettoni

  2. Department of Oncology and Hemato-Oncology, University of Milan, Milan, Italy

    Ketti Mazzocco & Gabriella Pravettoni

Authors
  1. Chiara Fioretti
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  2. Ketti Mazzocco
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  3. Gabriella Pravettoni
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Gabriella Pravettoni .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. European Institutee of Oncology, Milan, Italy

    Umberto Veronesi

  2. European Institute of Oncology, Milan, Italy

    Aron Goldhirsch

  3. European Institute of Oncology, Milan, Italy

    Paolo Veronesi

  4. San Raffaele University and Research Hospital, Milano, Italy

    Oreste Davide Gentilini

  5. European Institute of Oncology, Milan, Italy

    Maria Cristina Leonardi

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Fioretti, C., Mazzocco, K., Pravettoni, G. (2017). Psychological Support in Breast Cancer Patients: A Personalized Approach. In: Veronesi, U., Goldhirsch, A., Veronesi, P., Gentilini, O., Leonardi, M. (eds) Breast Cancer. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-48848-6_73

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-48848-6_73

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-48846-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-48848-6

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

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