Metastatic breast cancer
When breast cancer cells travel and form tumors in other parts of the body besides the breast,
doctors say the cancer has "metastasized" and then the disease is called advanced or metastatic breast cancer.
Anyone with breast cancer can develop metastases, but this does not mean that all women with breast cancer will develop them. About 30% of breast cancer patients will develop metastasis sometime after initial diagnosis and about 5% of women with breast cancer will be diagnosed with metastasis at initial diagnosis.
The diagnosis of a metastasis is a fact that brings about many changes and can create a new reality for women who have experienced breast cancer. Diagnosing metastatic breast cancer is not an easy situation. Symptoms of depression, anxiety, fear of the future and anxiety about the future of the disease often appear after the diagnosis of metastasis. Managing stress, fear and any other negative emotion is very important and can improve the quality of everyday life.
As medical data changes and become more and more optimistic, women living with metastatic disease can have a quality of life, can continue their lives and do the things they desire.
Any woman living with metastatic breast cancer can remind herself that metastatic breast cancer is not the end.
We can support ourselves by making the quality of our lives one of our priorities as we move forward.
The Hellenic Association of Women with Breast Cancer "Alma Zois" is here for every woman with metastatic
breast cancer as well as her family members, with specialized programs and tools.
Alma Zois' programs
for metastatic breast cancer
Counseling - Psychotherapy
Free one-on-one sessions with a psychologist or social worker
Group therapy
Management of physical and mental pain with self-awareness - mindfulness techniques
Helpline
for women with metastatic breast cancer throughout Greece
Workshops and conferences
for women with metastatic breast cancer
Awareness campaings
& online tools
Do not put a fullstop
informational campaign on metastatic breast cancer
MY alma
mobile application for every woman with metastatic breast cancer
synexizw.gr
Website for metastatic breast cancer
Print information material
in Hospitals and other points of interest
Individual Counseling - Psychotherapy
Any woman experiencing metastatic breast cancer can receive psychological support through individual
sessions with a psychologist or social worker of the “Alma Zois” Association completely free of charge.
Individual sessions are held at the offices of the Association, throughout the year, by appointment. The number of sessions with the social worker and the psychologist can vary depending on the phase in which each woman is and her psychological state.
For more information about the individual counseling program, call 210 88 15 444.
Group therapy
Management of physical and mental pain with self-awareness techniques - mindfulness
Mindfulness is the awareness that arises when we carefully observe what we experience every moment in the present, with kindness and without criticism.
It is a scientifically proven approach that helps us live in the present and develop the right skills to cope with the “here and now” of our lives. The effectiveness of mindfulness techniques in breast cancer patients and especially in patients with metastatic breast cancer,
has been confirmed by many research studies.
Every year, in “Alma Zois” a team of physical and mental pain management with mindfulness techniques for women living with metastasis takes place.
The group starts in October and ends in December.
For more information call: 2104180006.
Helpline
With respect to the personality and needs of every woman with metastatic breast cancer, we provide psychological support through the Helpline.
The Hotline of the “Alma Zois” Association is staffed by a Health Psychologist – Psychotherapist.
Every patient with metastasis as well as members of her family, from anywhere in Greece, can receive the support they need.
Each phone call can last up to an hour, that is, as long as a psychotherapeutic session, while the possibility for scheduled repeated telephone appointments is given.
The Helpline operates from Monday to Friday, 10 am to 6 pm.
Talk to us: 210 8 253 253
synexizw.gr
A website for metastatic breast cancer
The website www.synexizw.gr is dedicated to metastatic breast cancer and aims to inform patients about issues that concern them.
The visitor can be informed about the treatment of advanced breast cancer, the management of side effects from the treatments, the clinical studies and the new data about the disease.
In addition to articles, this site hosts videos where expert scientists analyze issues related to metastasis.
The issues analyzed aim to improve the quality of life and include:
- Emotional needs of women with metastatic breast cancer
- Latest Data on the treatment of metastatic breast cancer
- Tips for women with metastatic breast cancer
- Therapeutic Yoga for women with metastatic breast cancer
Finally, through the website, women with metastatic breast cancer can be informed about interesting events, workshops and seminars, as well as support structures such as pain clinics.
ΜΥ alma
A mobile application for every woman with metastatic breast cancer
Guided by the needs of patients with metastatic breast cancer, we have created the mobile application “MY alma” which aims to become a useful tool for every woman with metastatic breast cancer.
The main axes for the design of the application are the information of the women with metastatic breast cancer on the issues that concern them, their support through useful practical tips for their daily life and the communication with support structures.
Through the app, women with metastatic breast cancer have the opportunity to be informed about the latest medical data, points of interest such as Hospitals, Health Structures and Pain Clinics, to receive useful tips for managing their emotions and the side effects of their treatment, to set goals that improve their quality of life and see suggestions for improving their daily lives.
The Mobile application “My Alma” is implemented with the support of the international SPARC award given to the “Jump of Life”, through the collaboration of the Association for International Cancer Control (UICC) and Pfizer Inc.
Scientific supervision: Oncology Clinic of the University of Thessaly.
The mobile app “MY alma” is already available, completely free on Google Play and the App Store.
Do not put a fullstop
Informational campaign on metastatic breast cancer
If it appears, everything changes.
Initially it can be just a dot.
But it can appear here… or here…
But in metastatic breast cancer we do not put a fullstop.
We continue to live with optimism
Because we can deal with it
and have a better quality of life.
Do not put a full stop.
Informational material for metastatic breast cancer
Printed information material with detailed information about metastatic breast cancer is distributed to Hospitals and other points of interest, while it is also available from the headquarters of "Alma Zois" organization
Conferences, Scientific Meetings and Seminars
"Alma Zois" organizes conferences, workshops and seminars for women with metastatic breast cancer throughout the year
