The Breast Cancer Wellness Clinic was developed with a focus on transitioning patients from acute treatment into their new normal. The clinic assists with readjusting to life after cancer treatment and covers the physical changes as well as the emotional and social impacts of having breast cancer.
Why is the Breast Cancer Wellness Clinic unique?
The clinic offers personalised care led by a nurse practitioner and a breast care nurse with a clinical interest in breast cancer who have advanced clinical knowledge and specific training. This allows them to offer timely and tailored support, including:
- Assisting patients transition to life after treatment
- Discussion of overall health and wellbeing and addressing any concerns
- Development of a personalised care plan with each patient to help navigate and manage their health after treatment
- Discussion of follow-up planning and arrangement of referrals as needed
Help is not limited to just the physical impacts of breast cancer and its treatments. Mental health, intimacy, emotional wellbeing as well as broader topics such as ongoing imaging, menopause management and navigating the healthcare system are all areas of support available through the Breast Cancer Wellness Clinics.
According to Natasha and Jean, patients report feeling lost after treatment has ended.1,2 Australian cancer data shows survival rates for breast cancer are increasing3 so a growing number of people are transitioning into life after cancer.
Making this adjustment to life after cancer can include challenges such as returning to work, fear of the cancer returning, managing the impact of a cancer experience on their relationships and loved ones, as well as recovering physically after receiving therapy.
The GenesisCare Breast Cancer Wellness Clinics are about establishing a relationship with each person, getting to know them, and then tailoring a plan to support them after their treatment - a service that is strengthened by Natasha and Jean's knowledge and experience.
How do people access the Breast Cancer Wellness Clinic at GenesisCare in QLD?
Once a patient is being treated for breast cancer at GenesisCare, QLD, they are invited to schedule their follow-up appointments at the Breast Cancer Wellness Clinics for continued supportive care to assist in the transition into longer term survivorship.
Natasha Keir
Nurse Practitioner Breast Oncology
P: (07) 5507 3600
Natasha is a nurse practitioner who specialises in breast cancer (1 of only 5 in Australia). As a nurse practitioner she has completed additional university study at a master’s degree level and is one of the most senior and independent clinical nurses in our health care system.
Breast Care Nurse Practitioner and Wellness Clinic Leader
As an experienced Nurse Practitioner in Breast Oncology, I recognised a gap in healthcare service delivery for patients with breast cancer and developed the Breast Cancer Wellness Clinic in 2023.
The role of the clinic is to offer personalised, patient centred care to help patients with their overall wellbeing, symptom management and any concerns they may have following their diagnosis and treatment. The clinic assists patients to transition into longer term survivorship, provides follow up planning and ultimately improves the health outcomes of our patients.
Nurse Practitioner Breast Oncology
P: (07) 5507 3600
Natasha is a nurse practitioner who specialises in breast cancer (1 of only 5 in Australia). As a nurse practitioner she has completed additional university study at a master’s degree level and is one of the most senior and independent clinical nurses in our health care system.
As an experienced Nurse Practitioner in Breast Oncology, I recognised a gap in healthcare service delivery for patients with breast cancer and developed the Breast Cancer Wellness Clinic in 2023.
The role of the clinic is to offer personalised, patient centred care to help patients with their overall wellbeing, symptom management and any concerns they may have following their diagnosis and treatment. The clinic assists patients to transition into longer term survivorship, provides follow up planning and ultimately improves the health outcomes of our patients.
Jean Kelly
Breast Care Nurse
P: (07) 5374 8100
Jean is an experienced breast care nurse with postgraduate qualifications in breast cancer care. She provides invaluable supportive care and advice to patients and their families as they go through treatment and transition into longer term survivorship.
Breast Care Nurse Practitioner and Wellness Clinic Leader
The Breast Wellness Clinic is an avenue for me to assist people diagnosed with breast cancer transition back into their lives after treatment. During my time working in other facilities as a breast cancer nurse I noticed how difficult this transition is for some people once they have had to deal with the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer. Education of this group allows them to feel heard and valued so they are strong enough to move forward.
Breast Care Nurse
P: (07) 5374 8100
Jean is an experienced breast care nurse with postgraduate qualifications in breast cancer care. She provides invaluable supportive care and advice to patients and their families as they go through treatment and transition into longer term survivorship.
The Breast Wellness Clinic is an avenue for me to assist people diagnosed with breast cancer transition back into their lives after treatment. During my time working in other facilities as a breast cancer nurse I noticed how difficult this transition is for some people once they have had to deal with the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer. Education of this group allows them to feel heard and valued so they are strong enough to move forward.
Why it was developed
The Breast Cancer Wellness Clinic was developed to fill in a gap in healthcare services between the end of treatment and life after breast cancer. This can be a scary and isolating time, with patients reporting they struggle with their body post-treatment, that it feels unfamiliar and different. They may also feel vulnerable switching from frequent appointments with healthcare professionals to fewer interactions as their treatment ends.
How it works
During breast cancer treatment the patient will meet with either Natasha or Jean to organise a follow-up appointment for 3–6 weeks after treatment is completed. This one hour consultation is an opportunity for patients to engage in meaningful and supportive conversations, including a thorough review of the patients progress and culminating in the collaborative development of a comprehensive care plan.
The care plan encompasses:
- Summary of treatment
- Management of ongoing side effects
- Expectations for follow-up appointments
- Discussions of potential late-onset side effects
- Referrals to other healthcare professionals such as psychologists, exercise physiologists, lymphoedema trained therapists, are facilitated as needed
How often will a patient see the team at the Breast Cancer Wellness Clinic?
How frequently each patient meets with the Breast Cancer Wellness Clinic team depends on their individual needs. In general, they meet at 3–6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, 12 months then annually post-treatment for five years.
- ‘From Cancer Patient to Cancer Survivor: Lost in Transition,’ Institute of Medicine and National Research Councils of the National Academies, 2006. Available from: https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/11468/from-cancer-patient-to-cancer-survivor-lost-in-transition (accessed March 2025).
- Living Well After Cancer – Cancer Council 2024
- ‘Breast Cancer,’ Overview of cancer in Australia, 2024, Cancer Data in Australia, Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, last updated 9 December 2024. Available from: https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/cancer/cancer-data-in-australia/contents/overview-of-cancer-in-australia-2023 (accessed March 2025).
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