Keywords: HER2+ breast cancer; Patient perception; Patient–healthcare professional communication; Risk of recurrence; Shared-decision-making.
What is this summary about?This is a plain language summary of the results of a survey of women who have HER2 positive (HER2+) breast cancer. HER2 is a protein found on the surface of some cells and helps control how they grow and divide. In HER2+ breast cancer, cancer cells have more HER2 proteins than normal. This means the cells grow and divide faster, which can make the cancer more aggressive. Thanks to advances in cancer treatments and emergence of special medicines that can target and block the HER2 protein, the vast majority of patients with HER2+ breast cancer are still alive many years after their diagnosis. But there is still a risk that the cancer can come back, known as ’risk of recurrence’. The risk of recurrence is different for everybody and can determine what treatment is best for different people.What did the survey ask?This research aimed to better understand the major fears and concerns of women with HER2+ breast cancer and how these concerns can affect their health behaviours. It also aimed to explore what their interactions with healthcare professionals were like, including their worries or fears concerning their cancer, their treatment options, and their risk of recurrence. The survey also asked participants how much they want to be proactively involved in making decisions about their treatment and if they would consider additional options, such as lifestyle changes, to reduce the risk of recurrence.What do the results mean?The survey results showed that it is important for healthcare professionals to involve women with HER2+ breast cancer in decisions about their treatment. A shared decision-making approach is important for all women at different stages of their cancer treatment plan, but especially at early stage of the disease to create and build trust between patients and healthcare professionals.