Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in the West. Fortunately, the treatment options are so good that the vast majority of women today survive. In Denmark, there are approximately 60,000 women diagnosed with breast cancer, and a large proportion of them experience one or more late effects directly related to the treatment.

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These can be both physical and psychological sequelae such as fatigue, pain, sleep disturbances, depression, cosmetic discomfort, anxiety, PTSD, reduced mobility in the shoulder or swelling in the body. Often the patient experiences several of these sequelae. This reduces patients' quality of life and makes it difficult to return to life before cancer.

The average age of breast cancer is low compared to most other cancers, so women who experience late effects will often live with them for many years. When patients finish cancer treatment, those who experience late effects often find themselves caught between two stools. The cancer treatment ends when the cancer is defeated, but what happens when the sequelae occur? A number of specialists in the field and the Danish Cancer Society have decided to do something about this, and this is where the "breast cancer sequelae" project comes in. Imagine being able to live a life with fewer sequelae despite cancer treatment. Imagine that you as a clinician can be a player in giving the patient this continued quality of life.

"There is a large and unmet need to offer relevant help to breast cancer patients who have physical and psychological problems after their treatment. We will systematically collect data so that we can more quickly identify women who are at risk of developing late effects and offer them relevant prevention and treatment."

From the Danish Cancer Society website: https://www.cancer.dk/detgaarpengenetil/vis/nationalt-center-for-brystkraeftsenfoelger/.

"Breast cancer treatment is now going so well that we are facing a growing problem with the late effects that many cancer survivors encounter. This is not something that is unique to breast cancer, but a general issue that encompasses many different types of cancer. However, because breast cancer is so prevalent and because survival rates have become as good as they are, the problem is particularly acute for this disease. I personally agree with this very much, and it has been a great satisfaction to be able to take an active part in the establishment of a new and very ambitious project, where we, in line with a general trend, involve more direct reporting of patient experiences."

Says Professor, Consultant, DMSc Plastic and Breast Surgery at AUH, Peer Christiansen about the project.

Want to know more?

You can read more about breast cancer late effects at the Breast Cancer Late Effects Clinic and general information about late effects at Bedre Viden om Senfølger om Senfølger and Senfølgerforeningen

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