PALLIATIVE CARE BY A MOBILE TEAM FOR A PATIENT WITH METASTATIC BREAST CANCER AT HOME: A CLINICAL CASE

Abstract

Relevance: Palliative care aims to improve patient care by properly diagnosing and effectively treating pain and other severe symptoms that worsen the patient’s condition. It also involves training relatives in caregiving and providing psychological and social support to the patient and their family. 
The purpose was to study the role of a mobile team in providing comprehensive palliative care at home for a patient diagnosed with tumor-infiltrative breast cancer with metastatic involvement.
Methods: The article presents a clinical case of a patient with tumor-infiltrative stage III B breast cancer, complicated by metastases to the brain and pelvic bones and stage III-IV pressure ulcers. The disease progressed despite four cycles of neoadjuvant polychemotherapy and four cycles of targeted therapy. Special attention is paid to the work of the mobile team that provided comprehensive medical, psychological, and social support to the patient and their family at home. The main aspects of palliative care included competent identification and effective treatment of pain symptoms, care and treatment of pressure ulcers, feeding through a nasogastric tube, and interactions with family members to reduce emotional stress.
Results: Treatment of stage III-IV pressure ulcers provided positive dynamics, such as transitioning to the granulation phase after 1.5 months of conservative therapy. Modern wound treatment methods, including antiseptic solutions and antibiotic ointments, helped reduce infectious complications and improve the patient’s condition. The work of the mobile team highlighted the importance of an individualized approach that includes both medical and social support within the palliative care framework. 
Conclusion: Mobile teams providing palliative care at home to severe cancer patients in the terminal stage improve their quality of life and increase satisfaction with the care provided.