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Metastatic breast cancer nursing toolkit

The updated toolkit includes many useful resources, and case studies on nurses in current practice.

Kerry, a nurse with dark brown hair in blue scrubs, posing for portraits at the hospital, in conversation with a patient.

Welcome to your metastatic (secondary) breast cancer toolkit

This has been developed in response to the members of our Metastatic Breast Cancer Nursing Group, who often contact us for guidance and support around developing and improving the nursing service they offer to their patients.

Many nurses tell us that they have gained much from sharing good practice ideas and models with others specifically working with this patient group. Practical tools can also help individuals and teams when setting up and developing services and are useful to share.  

The updated toolkit contains different sections covering a range of issues - from the case for change, developing your personal knowledge, skills and ideas to make the change, to improving the care of those with secondary breast cancer.

As well as a number of resources, it also includes case studies from nurses in current practice, so you can see what others have achieved.

Kerry and Sarah, nurse and patient in conversation.

The case for change

Find out why we're campaigning to improve care for people with metastatic (secondary) breast cancer.

The case for change

Developing your service

Guidelines

Secondary, Not Second Rate reports

Our resources

  1. BJN HER2-targeted therapies in breast cancer

  2. The Christie Service Vision - creating a structured support pathway for SBC patients

  3. Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale

  4. Cancer Coping Questionnaire

  5. RCN Framework: A Competency Framework for Nurses Providing Care to People with Breast Cancer

  6. Framework for Band 7 CNS Development

  7. LCA metastatic breast cancer service specification

  8. Global Status of Advanced/Metastatic Breast Cancer 2005 - 2015 Decade Report: full report

  9. Global Status of Advanced/Metastatic Breast Cancer 2005 - 2015 Decade Report: summary

  10. RM Partners: Tips for Managing Symptoms of Chemotherapy-induced Peripheral Neuropathy

  1. Account of practice-related visit template

  2. Editable CNS data collection spreadsheet template

  3. Serious Diagnosis Information Communication template

  4. Editable Exam letter

  5. Support Stratification Guide

  6. Business case tips

  7. Introduction to service editable template

  8. Introduction to service - nursing support

  9. Editable treatment and progression summary

  1. Information on metastatic (secondary) breast cancer

  2. Group for people living with metastatic (secondary) breast cancer 

  3. All of our support services

  4. Other metastatic (secondary) breast cancer groups from Maggie's

  5. Make 2nds Count 2nds Support Hub

  6. Publications about metastatic (secondary) breast cancer

  1. Support for telling children - Fruitfly Collective

  2. Preparing for loss - book list from Jigsaw South East

  3. Facebook live - Talking with children about secondary breast cancer

  4. Family-Centred Cancer Care: Conversations

  5. PIP's Kit for supporting children (5-10 years old) who have a parent with incurable cancer

  6. The Little C Club Flash Cards

  7. ‘Making Impossible Conversations Possible’ Talking to children about serious illness and death. University of Oxford Facebook Live

  8. Useful animations to share with children

  9. The Ruth Strauss Foundation - supporting families facing the loss of a parent

  10. Marie Curie - 10 tips to help parents and carers with a life-limiting illness have conversations with their children

  11. Support for telling children - Talking, Telling, and Sharing framework

  12. How do I talk to my child? - guidance from Jigsaw South East

  13. Resources for families

  1. ABC Global Alliance
  2. ABC Consensus Conference
  3. YCBN Facebook Page for women under 45
  4. Global Trials
  5. Building Resilience in Breast Cancer Centre (BRiC)
  6. Working with Cancer
  7. mytomorrows helping people access possible treatment options
  8. Be Part of Research - National Institute for Health Research
  9. Find a Clinical Trial - Cancer Research UK
  10. NICE website
  11. Apollo Specialist Nursing Resource

  1. Dying to talk - discussion starter

  2. How to begin honest conversations about what lies ahead

  3. Serious illness conversation guide

  4. ReSPECT

  5. RED-MAP Guide for hospital professionals

  6. Shared decision-making using DECIDE

  7. Macmillan - Courageous Conversations - Useful words and phrases

  1. Insomnia/difficulty sleeping

  2. Physical activity

  3. Worry and fear

  4. Distress thermometer

  5. Diarrhoea

  6. Constipation

  7. Sexual consequences for women

  8. Breathlessness

  9. Fatigue

  10. Memory and concentration

  11. Pain and pain control

  12. Preventing weight gain

  13. Sexual consequences for men

  1. Intimacy and sexuality for cancer patients and their partners

  2. My Viv (sexual-wellbeing brand)

  3. Facebook Live - Sex and Intimacy

  4. Maximising Sexual Wellbeing - Signposting sheet - Breast Cancer

  5. EASSi Framework to guide discussions (Engagement, Assessment, Support & Signposting)

  6. Breast Cancer Now - Your body, intimacy and sex

  7. Macmillan Cancer Support - Cancer and your sex life

  8. Further resources

  9. Pleasure & Intimacy: A guide for people living with cancer by the Fruitfly Collective

  1. Facebook Live - Fatigue and secondary breast cancer

  2. RESTORE

  3. FACIT Fatigue Scale

  4. Piper Fatigue Scale (PFS)

  1. Physical activity resources for metastatic (secondary) breast cancer

  2. Fighting Fit For Cancer - Return to Movement Programme Information

  3. Managing Taste Changes - Buckinghamshire NHS Trust

  4. Diet resources for metastatic (secondary) breast cancer

Kerry, a nurse with dark brown hair and glasses, in blue scrubs, posing for portraits at the hospital.

Case studies

Real examples of how hospitals across the UK have improved their services.

Metastatic breast care case studies
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The toolkit has everything you need in one place to ensure you're going in the right direction. It's really useful when teaching others too.

Sue, Clinical Nurse Specialist, Scarborough
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Join the Metastatic Breast Cancer Nursing Group

Our Metastatic Breast Cancer Nursing Group has been set up in response to requests from nurses working with patients affected by metastatic breast cancer.

Metastatic Breast Cancer Nursing Group

We'd love your feedback

We envision this toolkit to constantly evolve. Please tell us what you think. And let us know your ideas for resources or content that would be useful to add to it.

Do tell us if you adapt or change your service so we can share your experience with others. By working together, we can ensure everyone affected by metastatic breast cancer receives the highest standards of specialist nursing care.

Get in touch