THE ROLE OF A NURSE IN SUPPORT AND REHABILITATION OF FEMALES AFTER SURGICAL TREATMENT FOR BREAST CANCER
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.11603/2411-1597.2026.1.16273Keywords:
nurse, nursing support, breast cancer, postmastectomy complications, rehabilitation, quality of lifeAbstract
Introduction. The role of a nurse in providing both comprehensive and individualized care to patients with breast cancer is one of the key components of the healthcare process. While working in close collaboration with physicians and patients, nurses perform an important function of informational support for patients and their families, facilitating coordination, monitoring, and continuity of care.
The aim of the study – to analyze and summarize data from contemporary scientific literature on approaches to nursing support and rehabilitation of patients after surgical treatment of breast cancer.
The main part. A systematic analysis of scientific literature was based on international electronic resources such as PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science, as well as sources of modern Ukrainian scientific information. The analysis demonstrated that, according to international experience, rehabilitation of women after breast cancer treatment should be comprehensive and include physical, psychological, and social support, balanced nutrition, and reconstructive surgery. However, in each case, the approach to recovery should be as individualized as possible, taking into account the specifics of surgical intervention, quality-of-life indicators, and the psycho-emotional state of women under conditions of chronic stress and social tension, which are current realities in the context of martial law. It was established that despite the existence of various models of care for breast cancer survivors, further research is required to determine the optimal care model that would improve patient outcomes and reduce the burden on the healthcare system.
Conclusions. At the current stage of medical science development, the role of the nurse in the implementation of rehabilitation measures for patients with breast cancer is becoming increasingly important. The combination of medical care and psychological support, educational activities, and assistance in adapting to body changes makes the nurse one of the leading factors in helping women return to a full life and achieve social integration.
References
Wang, M., Hou, L., Chen, M., Zhou, Y., Liang, Y., Wang, S., Jiang, J., & Zhang, Y. (2017). Neoadjuvant chemotherapy creates surgery opportunities for inoperable locally advanced breast cancer. Scientific Reports, 7, 44673. DOI 10.1038/srep44673.
Bray, F., Laversanne, M., Sung, H., Ferlay, J., Siegel, R. L., Soerjomataram, I., & Jemal, A. (2024). Global cancer statistics 2022: GLOBOCAN estimates of incidence and mortality worldwide for 36 cancers in 185 countries. CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, 74(3), 229–263. DOI 10.3322/caac.21834.
Fedorenko, Z. P., Sumkina, O. V., Zub, V. O., et al. (2024). Rak v Ukraini, 2022–2023. Zakhvoriuvanist, smertnist, pokaznyky diialnosti onkolohichnoi sluzhby [Cancer in Ukraine, 2022–2023. Incidence, mortality, indicators of oncology service activity]. Biuleten Natsionalnoho kantser-reiestru Ukrainy, 25, 129 p. [in Ukrainian].
Barry, K., Fadem, S. J., Hemler, J. R., Howard, J., Mikesell, L., O’Malley, D. M., Hudson, S. V., & Crabtree, B. F. (2025). Patient advocacy group leaders’ perceptions on primary care’s role in caring for patients with a history of breast cancer. Health Expectations, 28(5), e70458. DOI 10.1111/hex.70458.
Peera, M., Kennedy, S. K. F., Bhinder, J. K., Wu, J. J., Sharma, K., Wong, H. C. Y., Zhang, E., Chan, A. W., Lee, S. F., Haywood, D., Kirk, D., Guedes, H., Thamm, C., Kwan, J. Y. Y., & Alkhaifi, M. (2024). Breast cancer survivorship care: A narrative review of challenges and future directions. Annals of Palliative Medicine, 13(6), 1502–1512. DOI 10.21037/apm-24-78.
Merkow, R. P., Korenstein, D., Yeahia, R., Bach, P. B., & Baxi, S. S. (2017). Quality of cancer surveillance clinical practice guidelines: Specificity and consistency of recommendations. JAMA Internal Medicine, 177(5), 701–709. DOI 10.1001/jamainternmed.2017.0079.
Weaver, C. (2009). Caring for a patient after mastectomy. Nursing, 39(5), 44–48. DOI 10.1097/01.NURSE.0000350757.93924.b5.
Chan, K. S., Zeng, D., Leung, J. H. T., Ooi, B. S. Y., Kong, K. T., Yeo, Y. H., Goo, J. T. T., & Chia, C. L. K. (2020). Measuring upper limb function and patient-reported outcomes after major breast cancer surgery: A pilot study in an Asian cohort. BMC Surgery, 20(1), 108. DOI 10.1186/s12893-020-00773-0.
Amatya, B., Khan, F., & Galea, M. P. (2017). Optimizing post-acute care in breast cancer survivors: A rehabilitation perspective. Journal of Multidisciplinary Healthcare, 10, 347–357. DOI 10.2147/JMDH.S117362.
Akezaki, Y., Nakata, E., Kikuuchi, M., Tominaga, R., Kurokawa, H., Okamoto, M., Hamada, M., Aogi, K., Ohsumi, S., & Sugihara, S. (2021). Investigation of factors affecting early quality of life of patients after breast cancer surgery. Healthcare, 9(2), 213. DOI 10.3390/healthcare9020213.
Kikuuchi, M., Akezaki, Y., Nakata, E., Yamashita, N., Tominaga, R., Kurokawa, H., Hamada, M., Aogi, K., Ohsumi, S., Tsuji, T., & Sugihara, S. (2021). Risk factors of impairment of shoulder function after axillary dissection for breast cancer. Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer, 29(2), 771–778. DOI 10.1007/s00520-020-05533-7.
Paolucci, T., Bernetti, A., Paoloni, M., Capobianco, S. V., Bai, A. V., Lai, C., Pierro, L., Rotundi, M., Damiani, C., Santilli, V., Agostini, F., & Mangone, M. (2019). Therapeutic Alliance in a Single Versus Group Rehabilitative Setting After Breast Cancer Surgery: Psychological Profile and Performance Rehabilitation. Biores Open Access, 8(1), 101-110. DOI 10.1089/biores.2019.0011.
GBD 2023 Cancer Collaborators (2025). The global, regional, and national burden of cancer, 1990-2023, with forecasts to 2050: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2023. Lancet (London, England), 406(10512), 1565–1586. DOI 10.1016/S0140-6736(25)01635-6.
Kim, J., Harper, A., McCormack, V., Sung, H., et al. (2025). Global patterns and trends in breast cancer incidence and mortality across 185 countries. Nature medicine, 31(4), 1154–1162. DOI 10.1038/s41591-025-03502-3.
Ministry of Health of Ukraine, & Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine. (2008). Pro zatverdzhennia Kontseptsii rozvytku vyshchoi medychnoi osvity v Ukraini [On approval of the Concept for the development of higher medical education in Ukraine] (Order No. 522/51, September 12, 2008). http://mozdocs.kiev.ua/view.php?id=12141 [in Ukrainian].
Mukharovska, I. R. (2017). Yakist zhyttia onkolohichnykh khvorykh na etapakh likuvalnoho protsesu [Quality of life of cancer patients at the stages of the treatment process]. Psykhiatriia, Nevrologiia ta Medychna Psykholohiia, 4(1), 91–95 [in Ukrainian].
Nefedova, T. O. (2021). Strukturni osoblyvosti psykholohichnoho blahopoluchchia onkolohichnykh patsientiv z rakom molochnoi zalozy [Structural features of psychological well-being of breast cancer patients]. Habitus, 28, 86–93. DOI 10.32843/2663-5208.2021.28.14. [in Ukrainian].
Platovska, S. O., & Malanchuk, L. M. (2015). Medsestrynskyi faktor u zasvoienni alhorytmu samoobstezhennia molochnoi zalozy [Nursing factor in mastering the algorithm of breast self-examination]. Medsestrynstvo – Nursing, 2, 58–60 [in Ukrainian].
Çalışkan, B. B., Şengün İnan, F., Doğan, R., & Nazlı, Y. (2025). Breast cancer in the cycle of hope and hopelesness: A qualitative research. European journal of oncology nursing : the official journal of European Oncology Nursing Society, 79, 103024. DOI 10.1016/j.ejon.2025.103024.
Button, E., Thamm, C., Crichton, M., Milte, R., Charalambous, A., Christina, J., Turner, M. R., Mahony, J., Crawford-Williams, F., Cook, O., Doherty, N., Patford, K., Paterson, C., & Chan, R. J. (2025). Patient Preferences for Cancer Nurses as Care Providers: A Systematic Review of Discrete Choice Experiments. Journal of advanced nursing. DOI 10.1111/jan.70398
Rodrigues, T., Moreira, M. T., Lima, A., Fernandes, R., & Gomes, B. (2023). Contributions of a rehabilitation nursing program in the self-care of women undergoing breast surgery. Nursing Reports, 13(2), 913–922. DOI 10.3390/nursrep13020080.
Rodrigues, M., Deus, I., Bengalinha, P., Duro, R., Carpinteiro, D., Ferreira, R., Silva, C., & Fonseca, C. (2025). The role of rehabilitation nurses in empowering mastectomised women for self-care: A scoping review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 22(6), 957. DOI 10.3390/ijerph22060957.
Rodriguez-Ortega, A., Ferro, T., Ochoa-Arnedo, C., Campos, G., Valverde, Y., Medina, J. C., & Borras, J. M. (2025). The evaluation of a nursing care model for breast cancer: What are women’s priorities? Journal of Nursing Management, 2025, 8653274. DOI 10.1155/jonm/8653274.
Ferreira, R., Jeronimo, C., Mira, A., Pereira, A., Serrano, S., Marques, M. F., Baixinho, C. L., Fonseca, C., & Sousa, L. (2025). The rehabilitation of women who have had a mastectomy. Nursing Reports, 15(4), 133. DOI 10.3390/nursrep15040133.
Olesen, M. L., & Jørgensen, R. (2023). Impact of the person-centred intervention guided self-determination across healthcare settings: An integrated review. Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences, 37(1), 37–59. DOI 10.1111/scs.13138.
Weaver, C. (2009). Caring for a patient after mastectomy. Nursing, 39(5), 44–48. DOI 10.1097/01.NURSE.0000350757.93924.b5.
Jennings-Sanders, A., Kuo, Y. F., Anderson, E. T., & Freeman, J. L. (2005). How do nurse case managers care for older women with breast cancer? Oncology Nursing Forum, 32(3), 625–632. DOI 10.1188/05.ONF.625-632.
Jennings-Sanders, A., & Anderson, E. T. (2003). Older women with breast cancer: Perceptions of the effectiveness of nurse case managers. Nursing Outlook, 51(3), 108–114. DOI 10.1016/S0029-6554(03)00083-6.
Borromeo, A. S., Catalig, R. J., Ramos, A., Atud, C., Reyes, J., & Wider, W. (2025). Nurse-enabled survivorship in early-stage breast cancer (1970–2024): A critical bibliometric review of models, outcomes, and PRO-driven workflows. Journal of Cancer Policy, 46, 100664. DOI 10.1016/j.jcpo.2025.100664.
D’Alessandro, L., Palomares, S. M., Mancin, S., Sguanci, M., Cattani, D., Cosmai, S., Lopane, D., Gjeloshi, M., Cangelosi, G., & Mazzoleni, B. (2025). Professional roles, skills and advanced educational programs of breast cancer nurses: A scoping review. Nursing Open, 12(10), e70251. DOI 10.1002/nop2.70251.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Д. О. Підлісна, С. О. Шаповалова

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Accepted 2026-04-28
Published 2026-05-04