[MULTIDISCIPLINARY CARE FOR PATIENTS WITH BREAST CANCER]

Recently, the importance of a team approach to multidisciplinary medical treatment and care has been recognized. Patient satisfaction must be the purpose of the team approach. With advances in Western scientific methodology, the biological approach to breast cancer has been established. However, psychological, ethical, economic, and social approaches are also required. Key points of the team approach are considered to be the quality of communication between the patients and physicians and among medical staff. We believe that “caring for people who are ill” leads to a good team approach, resulting in patient satisfaction. Additionally, treatment and care should not only occur in a hospital as patients live in society. Multidisciplinary care must be extended from hospitals to the society at large.