Caring
for Someone With Breast Cancer
If you’re stepping into a caregiving role for a loved one with breast cancer, you may feel overwhelmed or unsure of where to start. Just know that you’re already taking an important step in supporting your loved one with breast cancer by seeking out information on ways to help.
Understanding the diagnosis and treatment plan
It’s normal to have a lot of questions after your loved one receives a breast cancer diagnosis. For starters, you’ll want to know what your loved one is facing — from the type of breast cancer they’ve been diagnosed with to their hormone receptor status. Your loved one’s pathology report will be an important resource as you begin this process together.
Learn more about reading a pathology report.
Treatments and decision-making
The pathology report will guide a lot of treatment decisions, but there will still be a lot of choices to make and questions to talk over. Your loved one may need your help thinking through their goals and priorities for treatment. By going to medical appointments, as you’re able, you can not only offer emotional support to your loved one, but also ask questions, take notes, and learn more about what’s ahead.
Learn more about breast cancer treatment.
Becoming a household manager
As your loved one comes to terms with their diagnosis, they may begin to feel overwhelmed by how treatment will fit into their daily life and not sure how to ask for help. By volunteering to take the lead on specific household tasks (for example, paying bills) or new health-related ones (for example, calling the health insurance company), you can allow your loved one time to relax and focus on treatment.
Learn more about managing health insurance and organizing medical records.
Support after surgery
Surgery is often recommended for people with breast cancer, and there are special considerations for caring for someone while they recover. You can help your loved one by creating a comfortable environment for recovery, providing rides to doctor’s appointments, and cooking nutritious meals to help them heal.
Learn more about ways to help after surgery.
Caring for someone with metastatic breast cancer
While there is currently no cure for metastatic breast cancer (breast cancer that has spread to other areas of the body), there are many treatments to help control the disease. As a result, your loved one’s treatment will likely be continuous.
Being available to discuss emotional, financial, legal, practical, and physical issues your loved one is experiencing are just a few ways to show your support.
Learn more about caregiving for a person with metastatic breast cancer.
Managing side effects
It’s possible your loved one will experience side effects from breast cancer treatment, including fatigue, pain, or nausea. There are many ways to manage side effects, some of which may involve coordinating with your loved one’s cancer care team.
Learn more about hormonal therapy side effects, radiation side effects, and managing chemo side effects.
Juggling caregiving and your job
While you care for your loved one, you may need to keep working. There may come a time, though, that you need to take leave from work.
The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) entitles eligible employees to up to 12 work weeks off yearly to care for a seriously ill family member, so this may be an option for you.
Your loved one may or may not continue working through their breast cancer treatment. Part of your role as a caregiver includes supporting them through challenging conversations and decisions regarding their job.
Learn more about workplace and job concerns.
Planning for the cost of care
Depending on your loved one’s health insurance plan, they may have a range of co-pays or deductibles. There are also costs that may not be covered by insurance, such as transportation and complementary care. If the cost of treatment is a financial strain, your loved one may be eligible to receive financial aid for medical and other breast cancer–related expenses.
Learn more about the cost of breast cancer care, including options for financial assistance and ways to lower medication costs.
Taking care of yourself
Though a strong support system is crucial for people with breast cancer, you’ll be most supportive of your loved one if you’re taking good care of yourself as well. It’s important to remember that you can’t do it all and to ask for help. Between caregiving tasks, you’ll want to try to eat healthy foods, get sleep and exercise, and pay attention to your mental health.
Learn more about taking care of your mental health or listen to our podcast episodes on caregiving.
Connecting with other caregivers
Support groups provide an outlet to talk about your experiences and make meaningful connections with others navigating similar challenges. Meeting and connecting with other caregivers can be an important source of information and support: you’ll know you’re not alone, you can get ideas and advice from people who have been there, and — at a time when your social life may take a hit — you’ll have something to look forward to.
The Breastcancer.org community has online discussion boards just for caregivers.
