# Modern Personalized Strategies for Breast Cancer Treatment: Bridging Precision Oncology and Psycho-Oncology

**Authors:** Giuseppe Marano, Ida Paris, Gianandrea Traversi, Osvaldo Mazza, Francesco Pavese, Tatiana D’Angelo, Gianluca Franceschini, Marianna Mazza

PMC · DOI: 10.3390/jcm15041574 · 2026-02-17

## TL;DR

This paper reviews how combining biological precision with psychological care can improve breast cancer treatment outcomes.

## Contribution

The paper introduces a person-centered model that integrates precision oncology with psycho-oncology for breast cancer treatment.

## Key findings

- Psychological factors like depression and anxiety significantly affect treatment outcomes in breast cancer patients.
- Integrated care models combining oncology and psycho-oncology improve patient-reported outcomes and treatment effectiveness.
- Systematic psychological screening and tailored interventions are essential for comprehensive personalized cancer care.

## Abstract

Breast cancer represents a paradigmatic model of precision oncology, with treatment strategies increasingly guided by molecular profiling and biomarker-driven targeted therapies. Despite these advances in biological personalization, clinical outcomes remain strongly influenced by psychological and psychiatric factors that are still insufficiently integrated into oncological decision-making. This gap underscores the need for a broader, person-centered model of personalization that extends beyond tumor biology. This narrative review synthesizes current evidence on contemporary personalized strategies in breast cancer management, with a specific focus on the integration of precision oncology and psycho-oncology. A structured literature search was conducted across major biomedical databases to identify studies addressing molecular stratification, targeted treatments, psychiatric comorbidity, psychological profiles, and psycho-oncological interventions relevant to treatment personalization. While molecular classification and biomarker-guided therapies have substantially improved breast cancer outcomes, high rates of depression, anxiety, psychological distress, and maladaptive coping styles are consistently reported across disease stages. These psychological and psychiatric dimensions significantly influence treatment adherence, tolerability, quality of life, and ultimately clinical outcomes. Growing evidence supports the systematic use of psychological screening tools and tailored psycho-oncological interventions, both psychological and pharmacological, as integral components of personalized cancer care. Integrated care models combining oncological and psycho-oncological expertise are associated with improved patient-reported outcomes and may enhance overall therapeutic effectiveness. True personalization in breast cancer treatment extends beyond biological precision and requires the structured integration of psycho-oncological assessment and intervention into routine clinical pathways. Bridging precision oncology and psycho-oncology enables a more comprehensive, patient-centered approach, optimizing adherence, quality of life, and long-term outcomes. Future strategies should prioritize multidisciplinary models of care and the development of integrated clinical frameworks to achieve genuinely personalized breast cancer management.

## Linked entities

- **Diseases:** breast cancer (MONDO:0004989), depression (MONDO:0002050), anxiety (MONDO:0005618)

## Full-text entities

- **Genes:** NR4A1 (nuclear receptor subfamily 4 group A member 1) [NCBI Gene 3164] {aka GFRP1, HMR, N10, NAK-1, NGFIB, NP10}, PGR (progesterone receptor) [NCBI Gene 5241] {aka NR3C3, PR}, EREG (epiregulin) [NCBI Gene 2069] {aka EPR, ER, Ep}, BRCA1 (BRCA1 DNA repair associated) [NCBI Gene 672] {aka BRCAI, BRCC1, BROVCA1, FANCS, IRIS, PNCA4}, CYP19A1 (cytochrome P450 family 19 subfamily A member 1) [NCBI Gene 1588] {aka ARO, ARO1, CPV1, CYAR, CYP19, CYPXIX}, ESR1 (estrogen receptor 1) [NCBI Gene 2099] {aka ER, ESR, ESRA, ESTRR, Era, NR3A1}, COL11A2 (collagen type XI alpha 2 chain) [NCBI Gene 1302] {aka DFNA13, DFNB53, FBCG2, HKE5, OSMEDA, OSMEDB}, ERBB2 (erb-b2 receptor tyrosine kinase 2) [NCBI Gene 2064] {aka CD340, HER-2, HER-2/neu, HER2, MLN 19, MLN-19}
- **Diseases:** psychiatric (MESH:D001523), Cancer (MESH:D009369), endocrine resistance (MESH:D004700), toxicity (MESH:D064420), Anxiety (MESH:D001007), Hospital (MESH:D003428), injury to (MESH:D014947), HR (MESH:D046150), inflammatory (MESH:D007249), pain (MESH:D010146), impaired QoL (MESH:D003643), inflammatory dysregulation (MESH:D021081), major depressive disorder (MESH:D003865), neuroendocrine (MESH:D018358), Distress (MESH:D012128), cognitive complaints (MESH:D003072), Anxiety Disorders (MESH:D001008), vasomotor symptoms (MESH:D012223), adjustment disorders (MESH:D000275), Depression (MESH:D003866), Breast Cancer (MESH:D001943), TNBC (MESH:D064726), fatigue (MESH:D005221), positive (MESH:D000377)
- **Species:** Homo sapiens (human, species) [taxon 9606]

## Figures

4 figures with captions in the complete paper: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12941860/full.md

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Source: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12941860