Metastatic breast cancer recurrence: a literature review of themes and issues arising from diagnosis.

An understanding of the impact of recurrent metastatic breast cancer diagnosis is vital to palliative care nurses since the prognosis for such women is generally poor and many present with a complex range of physical and psychosocial problems. However, while many quantitative studies have focused on quality of life in patients receiving different treatments for their metastatic disease, researchers have paid very little attention to the personal impact of recurrent disease and few qualitative papers have been published on this phenomenon. This literature review, therefore, provides an overview of the main issues affecting breast cancer patients with recurrent metastases, and identifies the key differences between this group and those diagnosed with other forms of breast cancer. In total, the literature search identified 10 papers which attempt to describe women's reactions to a diagnosis of recurrent metastatic breast cancer, although many do not focus solely on the experiences of this group of patients. The review provides fresh insight into these experiences and explores common themes arising from the literature so that nurses may better understand the patient's experience and respond to their needs appropriately.