Understanding the Perceptions of Omani Women Regarding Life After a Breast Cancer Diagnosis

Objectives: There is a rising burden of breast cancer (BC) in the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR), and its sociopsychological impact is a quickly growing health concern in this region. Because understanding cancer patients’ perceptions of life is integral to their treatment, they are also a concern for healthcare providers. This qualitative study, therefore, explored changes in Omani women’s perceptions of life after a BC diagnosis. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted individually with 21 Omani women undergoing treatment for BC at the Oncology Ward of Muscat’s Royal Hospital from March to May 2017. The collected data were subjected to qualitative content analysis. Results: After their cancer diagnosis, the women appeared to pass through three main stages in their coping processes. First, they passed through a stage of severe psychosocial distress and diminishment in personal identity. Next, they evolved strategies for coping based on cultural, religious and family resources. Finally, the women experienced acceptance and submission to the reality of the cancer as God’s will with changes in attitudes and perceptions of the meaning of life. Conclusion: A BC diagnosis impacts Omani women severely, affecting their lives dramatically. They adopt coping strategies based on cultural, religious and spiritual beliefs. Healthcare providers need to acknowledge and facilitate women’s spiritual and cultural coping strategies as an integral part of their treatment which holds potential to improve their prognosis. Such strategies should be individualised to suit each woman’s experiences, perceptions and needs. Keywords: Breast Neoplasm; Culture; Perceptions; Life; Women; Oman.

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Abstract P148: Heart Disease Among Breast Cancer Patients

Circulation ◽

10.1161/circ.137.suppl_1.p148 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 137 (suppl_1) ◽

Author(s):

Tekeda F Ferguson ◽

Sunayana Kumar ◽

Denise Danos

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Heart Disease ◽

Electronic Health Records ◽

Cancer Patients ◽

Cancer Diagnosis ◽

Breast Cancer Diagnosis ◽

Health Concern ◽

Breast Cancer Patients ◽

Health Records ◽

Electronic Health

Purpose: In conjunction with women being diagnosed earlier with breast cancer and a rapidly aging population, advances in cancer therapies have swiftly propelled cardiotoxicity as a major health concern for breast cancer patients. Frequent cardiotoxicity outcomes include: reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), myocardial infarction, asymptomatic or hospitalized heart failure, arrhythmias, hypertension, and thromboembolism. The purpose of this study was to use an electronic health records system determine if an increased odds of heart disease was present among women with breast cancer. Methods: Data from the Research Action for Health Network (REACHnet) was used for the analysis. REACHnet is a clinical data research network that uses the common data model to extract electronic health records (EHR) from health networks in Louisiana (n=100,000).Women over the age of 30 with data (n=35,455) were included in the analysis. ICD-9 diagnosis codes were used to classify heart disease (HD) (Hypertensive HD, Ischemic HD, Pulmonary HD, and Other HD) and identify breast cancer patients. Additional EHR variables considered were smoking status, and patient vitals. Chi-square tests, crude, and adjusted logistic regression models were computed utilizing SAS 9.4. Results: Utilizing diagnoses codes our study team has estimated 28.6% of women over the age of 30 with a breast cancer diagnosis (n=816) also had a heart disease diagnosis, contrasted with 15.6% of women without a breast cancer diagnosis. Among patients with heart disease, there was no significant difference in the distribution of the type of heart disease diagnoses by breast cancer status (p=0.87). There was a 2.21 (1.89, 2.58) crude odds ratio of having a CVD diagnoses among breast cancer cases when referenced to cancer free women. After adjusting for age (30-49, 50-64, 65+), race (black/white), and comorbidities (obesity/overweight, diabetes, current smoker) there was an increased risk of heart disease (OR: 1.24 (1.05, 1.47)). Conclusion: The short-term and long-term consequences of cardiotoxicity on cancer treatment risk-to-benefit ratio, survivorship issues, and competing causes of mortality are increasingly being acknowledged. Our next efforts will include making advances in predictive risk modeling. Maximizing benefits while reducing cardiac risks needs to become a priority in oncologic management and monitoring for late-term toxic effects.

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How do women with secondary breast cancer experience telling their adolescent children about their diagnosis?

Journal of Health Psychology ◽

10.1177/1359105316648484 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 23 (9) ◽

pp. 1223-1233 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Leonie Lalayiannis ◽

Nicky Asbury ◽

Graham Dyson ◽

Amanda Walshe

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Cancer Diagnosis ◽

Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis ◽

Breast Cancer Diagnosis ◽

Phenomenological Analysis ◽

Primary Cancer ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Cancer Experience ◽

Secondary Breast Cancer ◽

The Impact

This study investigated how women with secondary breast cancer experience telling their adolescent children. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with women who had been diagnosed with secondary breast cancer at least 1 year prior to the interview. Seven women, who had at least one child between 12 and 19 years old living at home at the time of diagnosis, were interviewed. The interviews were analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis for an in-depth understanding of women’s experiences. Women found that it was easier to tell their children of their secondary breast cancer diagnosis compared to their primary cancer. However, they talked about the impact the diagnosis had on their family.

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Retracted: Healthcare providers knowledge, attitude and behaviour towards breast cancer diagnosis and treatment in Malaysia – a mini systematic review

Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research ◽

10.4314/tjpr.v17i11.27 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 17 (11) ◽

pp. 2299

Author(s):

Eman Azeem ◽

Syed Wasif Gillani ◽

Vinci Poh ◽

Syed Azhar Syed Sulaiman

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Systematic Review ◽

Cancer Diagnosis ◽

Healthcare Providers ◽

Breast Cancer Diagnosis ◽

Diagnosis And Treatment

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Role-reversals in Caregiving: Case Studies of Two Women Living With Late Stage Cancer

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igab046.2922 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 799-799

Author(s):

Candice Reel ◽

J Hunter Williams ◽

Emma Brennan ◽

Jonna Williams ◽

Kristen Payne ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Coping Strategies ◽

Cancer Diagnosis ◽

Late Stage ◽

Breast Cancer Diagnosis ◽

Role Reversal ◽

Internal Conflict ◽

Future Research ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Late Stage Cancer ◽

Living With Cancer

Abstract Many studies have examined the effects of caregiving burden and many others have focused on the effects of having a caregiver (Haynes-Lewis et al., 2018; Trevino, Prigerson, & Maciejewski, 2018; Semere et al., 2020). However, there is little data on the experience of role reversal, once responsible for caring for others and now being cared for while living with cancer. This project aims to identify ways in which women living with cancer cope with the internal struggles of receiving care. The current project is a case study of two females, one age 67, NHW, with a breast cancer diagnosis and one age 60, Black, with an ovarian cancer diagnosis, who once were caregivers and are now being cared for by family. Two semi-structured interviews were conducted that were approximately 60 minutes each. The study data are from a larger project focused on the self-perception of older women with late-stage cancer. Four independent researchers used thematic analysis to uncover common themes of coping between the two women receiving care. The themes uncovered were acceptance of the loss of autonomy, positive death attitudes, good relationships with their caregivers, and religiosity were identified and coded as coping strategies. The qualitative data showed that the use of these coping strategies helped the women be more accepting to care with less internal conflict. Future research should focus on generalizing these findings on a larger sample and use the data to help cancer patients better accept care from others.

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The first year after breast cancer diagnosis: hope and coping strategies as predictors of adjustment

Psycho-Oncology ◽

10.1002/pon.574 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 11 (2) ◽

pp. 93-102 ◽

Cited By ~ 312

Author(s):

Annette L. Stanton ◽

Sharon Danoff-burg ◽

Melissa E. Huggins

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Coping Strategies ◽

Cancer Diagnosis ◽

Breast Cancer Diagnosis ◽

First Year ◽

And Coping

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The Perceived Social Support by Iranian Women with Breast Cancer: A Qualitative Study

10.21203/rs.3.rs-295984/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Leila Mokhtari ◽

Abdollah Khorami Markani ◽

Hamid Reza Khalkhali ◽

Aram Feizi

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Social Support ◽

Qualitative Study ◽

Lived Experience ◽

Qualitative Content Analysis ◽

Healthcare Providers ◽

Well Being ◽

Medical Sciences ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

The Family

Abstract Background: Social support has an importnat role in improving health outcomes and is considered as one of the crucial aspects of the modern care in cancer patients. Therefore this article aims at discovering and describing the dimensions of social support based on the lived experience of women suffering from breast cancer.Methods: In this qualitative study, 22 women with breast cancer were selected through purposive sampling from 7 hospitals affiliated to Urmia University of Medical Sciences. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews and were analyzed by the Conventional Qualitative Content Analysis and Graneheim’s and Lundman’s (2004) approach, using MAXQDA software, version 10.Results: After completion of the analyzing process, 6 categories were appeared including “creating an empathic atmosphere by family and community”, “creating a safe communication network for the patient”, “adaption to disease”, “giving meaning to life”, “the feeling of satisfaction with the healthcare providers for fulfilling their role”, and “accepting the support and help of family and friends in fighting the disease”. Conclusion: According to the findings, good social support during the illness can result in the spiritual, mental, and physical well-being of the patients and is one of the most effective factors in fighting the disease and feeling of recovery. The findings of this study can be used to develop plans to help the patients to achieve more support from the family, healthcare providers and the community and even providing the required supportive care for this group of women.

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Quality of Life Among Younger Women With Breast Cancer

Journal of Clinical Oncology ◽

10.1200/jco.2005.05.130 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 23 (15) ◽

pp. 3322-3330 ◽

Cited By ~ 293

Author(s):

Nancy E. Avis ◽

Sybil Crawford ◽

Janeen Manuel

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Quality Of Life ◽

Body Image ◽

Coping Strategies ◽

Cancer Diagnosis ◽

Breast Cancer Diagnosis ◽

Younger Women ◽

The Impact ◽

Image Problems

Purpose To describe quality of life (QOL) of younger women 4 to 42 months after breast cancer diagnosis and to identify factors associated with impaired QOL. Methods A total of 202 women diagnosed with stage I to III breast cancer at age 50 or younger from 4 to 42 months after breast cancer diagnosis previously completed a mailed survey. Global QOL; health-related QOL as measured by the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy–Breast Cancer (FACT-B); medical history; symptoms; days of work/activity missed after diagnosis; relationship, sexual, and body image problems; coping strategies; and feelings of preparedness were measured. Results General aches and pains and unhappiness with appearance were reported by more than 70% of women. Hot flashes (P = .0007), pain with sexual intercourse (P = .02), and difficulty with bladder control (P = .002) all significantly increased with age. Global QOL was significantly lower than for a nonpatient sample of younger women (P < .0001). In general, few sociodemographic and medical factors were related to QOL. In multivariate analyses, days of work/usual activity missed immediately after diagnosis; relationship, sexual, or body image problems after diagnosis; and coping strategies were related to almost all QOL domains. Ongoing treatment, vaginal dryness, and feeling unprepared for the impact of breast cancer were related to some domains. Conclusion Younger breast cancer survivors are at risk for impaired QOL up to several years after diagnosis. Younger women, especially those at high risk for lower QOL, may need interventions that specifically target their needs related to menopausal symptoms and problems with relationships, sexual functioning, and body image. Preparing younger woman for the impact of breast cancer may also prove beneficial.

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