Mitigating factors include a 55% study recruitment rate, which suggest that almost half of the patients 'will be unwilling to have follow-up care transferred to their family physician' (p 853), and the authors also state that the study did not specifically measure the 'special psychosocial and supportive care concerns' of breast cancer patients.
They describe their role as supportive, including support concerning patients' struggles in accepting the incurable nature of the disease.
Twelve studies (sample size range 5 70 patients) used qualitative methodology (table 2) to describe patients' experiences, concerns, supportive care needs, perspectives of care, and information and knowledge about their disease.
We were able to show that due to nursing interventions symptom-related supportive care needs concerning disease- or treatment-related side-effects (nausea, vomiting, pain, fatigue, malnutrition) can partially be addressed beyond inpatient treatment by conveying self-management abilities and an attitude change in patients regarding cancer [ 28– 30].
These were included in this review because they reported some information about patient's unmet supportive care needs or concerns, for instance Fabris et al 33 reported that most patients wanted more detailed information about HCV and its transmission.
Clinicians inconsistently ask patients about their unmet supportive care needs and concerns, typically operating in a 'reactive mode' (eg, acting in response to patients' pressing or self-reported problems).
In each CALM session, the patient decides which one of these domains and to what extent each domain is covered depending on their current concerns and supportive care needs.
Findings will expand current clinical guidelines for the management of sexual dysfunction in men with prostate cancer and, importantly, facilitate the development of targeted supportive care services for survivors concerned by their sexual health.
However, national guidelines concerning regional organization and supportive care are necessary.
