Living with metastatic breast cancer: a global patient survey

Worldwide, one-third of patients who present with early-stage breast cancer will go on to develop metastatic disease. Despite a serious diagnosis with a grave prognosis, treatment advances have meant that women are living longer with metastatic breast cancer. Although the clinical aspects of metastatic breast cancer have been well studied, little is known about the personal, psychosocial, and emotional experiences of women living with the disease. Because early-stage breast cancer is highly visible in the media and is a focus for most patient advocacy groups, women with metastatic disease feel isolated and alone. This paper presents the results of an international survey that questioned 1,342 women with metastatic breast cancer from 13 countries. The survey was designed to understand the nonmedical attitudes of patients living with metastatic breast cancer, identify perceived gaps in resources available to these patients, and define barriers to clinical trial enrollment and participation