PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Taroni, Katie
AU  - Reeves, Helen
AU  - Hill, Katherine
TI  - 148 Developing an enhanced supportive care service for women suffering from the adverse effects of cancer and its treatment
AID  - 10.1136/bmjspcare-2018-ASPabstracts.175
DP  - 2018 Mar 01
TA  - BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care
PG  - A63--A64
VI  - 8
IP  - Suppl 1
4099  - http://spcare.bmj.com/content/8/Suppl_1/A63.3.short
4100  - http://spcare.bmj.com/content/8/Suppl_1/A63.3.full
SO  - BMJ Support Palliat Care2018 Mar 01; 8
AB  - The effects of cancer and its treatment can have major adverse effects on the women it has affected and their families. This service has been set up with the support of Sutton Breast Friends and St Giles Hospice and will enable patients to discuss issues which were previously unrecognised relating to the impact on their altered body image, well-being and sexuality in a comfortable and open environment with a specialist nurse who has the skills to empower these patients to live their lives well, when suffering from the adverse effects of cancer and its treatment. Focus groups were utilised at the start to ensure that the service was set up how women wanted to ensure its success.By developing this service and delivering this model of care, our aim is to:improve the wellbeing of women suffering with cancer and the adverse effects of its treatmentenable women to take control and manage a range of problems impacting on their body image, sexuality and wellbeingenable wives/husbands/partners to discuss the issues and concerns relating to how cancer and its treatment may impact on their relationshipprevent relationship disconnect linked to cancer and its treatmentsThere will continue to be an unmet need and these issues will remain unresolved for patients affecting their quality of life, and their ability to reconnect with their relationships. Evidence shows increased risk of relationship breakdown when suffering from the adverse effects of cancer and its treatment.Due to this being a new service outcome measures will be collected and will be used to demonstrate the effect the intervention has had on patients self-worth, confidence and state of mind.