Tanna Nuttan, Buijs Helene, Pitkin Joan
Women's Health & Older People, Women's Services, N W London Hospitals NHS Trust, Harrow, Middlesex, UK.
Menopause Int. 2011 Dec;17(4):126-31. doi: 10.1258/mi.2011.011101. Epub 2011 Nov 25.
Breast cancer survivors can be expected to suffer from menopause symptoms with estrogen deprivation due to cancer treatments, in addition to natural menopause-related estrogen loss.
To gain an understanding of what support breast cancer patients have when they suffer from menopausal symptoms, and utilize findings to further inform National Health Service (NHS) care provision for breast cancer survivors.
Qualitative study with focus group sessions targeting Caucasian and Asian women with breast cancer.
Patient stories, with women describing their breast cancer journey and speaking about support received for any menopausal symptoms. Thematic data analysis of transcription.
Breast cancer patients were not sure if they had menopausal symptoms or whether this was due to their breast cancer condition or treatment. Patients had an attitude of acceptance of menopausal symptoms and reported trying to cope with these by themselves.
This research identifies a need for more information that is culturally sensitive on managing menopause symptoms, both as side-effects of breast cancer treatments as well as for affect on quality of life during the survivorship phase. Our work also gives insight into cultural remedies used for hot flushes by Asian patients, which they consider as 'cooling' foods. Breast cancer patients want to know whether side-effects of cancer treatment persist long term and how these can be managed. There is a need for improved patient support within any new NHS service models that are developed along breast cancer patient pathways, and inclusion of personalized advice for menopause symptoms.
乳腺癌幸存者除了会因自然绝经导致雌激素流失外，还可能因癌症治疗引发雌激素缺乏而出现绝经症状。
了解乳腺癌患者出现绝经症状时能获得哪些支持，并利用研究结果为英国国家医疗服务体系（NHS）为乳腺癌幸存者提供的护理提供更多信息。
针对患有乳腺癌的白种人和亚洲女性进行焦点小组会议的定性研究。
患者讲述自身乳腺癌经历以及针对绝经症状所获得的支持。对转录内容进行主题数据分析。
乳腺癌患者不确定自己是否有绝经症状，也不确定这是由乳腺癌病情还是治疗导致的。患者对绝经症状持接受态度，并表示试图自行应对这些症状。
本研究表明，需要提供更多对文化敏感的关于管理绝经症状的信息，这些症状既是乳腺癌治疗的副作用，也是对生存阶段生活质量的影响。我们的研究还深入了解了亚洲患者用于潮热的文化疗法，他们将某些食物视为“清凉”食物。乳腺癌患者想知道癌症治疗的副作用是否会长期持续以及如何应对。在任何沿着乳腺癌患者路径开发的新的NHS服务模式中，都需要改善对患者的支持，并纳入针对绝经症状的个性化建议。
