Healthy Lifestyle Intervention Promotes Connection and Education in Metastatic Breast Cancer – Cancer Nursing Today

Report on a Nurse-Led Lifestyle Intervention for Metastatic Breast Cancer

Alignment with Sustainable Development Goal 3: Good Health and Well-being

A recent pilot study highlights an innovative healthcare approach that directly supports the achievement of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 3, which aims to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages.

• Target 3.4: The intervention contributes to reducing mortality from non-communicable diseases by providing enhanced supportive care and promoting mental and physical well-being for patients with metastatic breast cancer.
• Quality Healthcare Access: By developing a specialized program, the initiative demonstrates a commitment to providing quality, essential healthcare services tailored to the unique needs of a vulnerable patient population.

Study Overview and Key Findings

An exploratory sequential mixed-method pilot study was conducted to evaluate a nurse-led healthy lifestyle group intervention for patients living with metastatic breast cancer. The research was led by Loren N. Winters of the Mass General Brigham Cancer Institute.

1. Objective: To assess the feasibility and acceptability of a tailored intervention designed to ameliorate psychosocial needs and treatment-related symptoms in patients receiving targeted therapy for metastatic, estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer.
2. Rationale: Standard survivorship programs, typically designed for early-stage cancer survivors, do not adequately address the specific challenges faced by patients with metastatic disease.
3. Primary Finding: The nurse-led intervention was found to be a feasible and acceptable method for enhancing supportive care within this patient cohort.

Implications for Global Health and Gender Equality

The study’s findings have broader implications for global health strategies and other Sustainable Development Goals.

• SDG 5 (Gender Equality): As breast cancer disproportionately affects women, improving supportive care models directly contributes to the health, well-being, and empowerment of women globally.
• SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals): The presentation of this research at the European Society for Medical Oncology Congress exemplifies the global partnership and knowledge-sharing required to advance healthcare solutions and achieve the SDGs.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

1. SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
   • The entire article is focused on health, specifically on enhancing “supportive care for patients living with metastatic breast cancer.” This directly aligns with SDG 3’s aim to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages. The intervention discussed targets a non-communicable disease (cancer) and addresses the “psychosocial needs and treatment-related symptoms” of patients, which is central to the goal of promoting well-being.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. Target 3.4: By 2030, reduce by one-third premature mortality from non-communicable diseases through prevention and treatment and promote mental health and well-being.
   • The article details an intervention for patients with “metastatic, estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer,” which is a non-communicable disease. The program’s goal to address “psychosocial needs” and use “healthy lifestyle behaviors” to ameliorate symptoms is a direct effort to promote mental health and well-being for individuals undergoing treatment for an NCD.
2. Target 3.8: Achieve universal health coverage, including financial risk protection, access to quality essential health-care services and access to safe, effective, quality and affordable essential medicines and vaccines for all.
   • The study explores a “nurse-led healthy lifestyle group intervention” as a model of care. This represents an effort to develop and provide “quality essential health-care services” beyond primary treatment. By assessing if the intervention is “feasible and acceptable,” the study is investigating a potential new component of supportive care that could be integrated into the healthcare system to improve the quality of life for patients.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

1. Feasibility and Acceptability of Health Interventions
   • The article explicitly states that the study’s purpose was to assess if the “tailored intervention was feasible and acceptable.” These two metrics serve as direct process indicators. They measure the viability of implementing new healthcare services designed to promote well-being (Target 3.4) and enhance the quality of care (Target 3.8).
2. Patient-Reported Outcomes on Well-being and Symptom Management
   • The article implies that the effectiveness of the intervention would be measured by its impact on patients. The statement that “healthy lifestyle behaviors may ameliorate” the “psychosocial needs and treatment-related symptoms” suggests that indicators would include patient-reported improvements in mental health, well-being, and a reduction in the severity of treatment-related side effects. These are key indicators for measuring progress in promoting well-being under Target 3.4.

Summary Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: cancernursingtoday.com