Rajagopal Lalithambigai, Liamputtong Pranee, McBride Kate A
Translational Health Research Institute, Western Sydney University, Penrith, New South Wales, Australia.
School of Science and Health, Western Sydney University, Penrith, New South Wales, Australia.
Asian Pac J Cancer Prev. 2019 Nov 1;20(11):3233-3249. doi: 10.31557/APJCP.2019.20.11.3233.
Breast cancer is the second most common cancer among Australian women. In 2019, an estimated
19,000 women in Australia were diagnosed with breast cancer, with around 3,058 women dying from the disease in the
same year. Although many qualitative studies published in Australia exist which examine breast cancer from various
perspectives, only limited literature is available which addresses Australian women's lived experience of breast cancer
from diagnosis, treatment and beyond.
Meta-synthesis of qualitative studies. Participants who took part in
either semi-structured interviews or surveys with open-ended questions were included. A thematic synthesis analysis
approach was used.
Five themes and 13 sub themes emerged from the data analysis which illustrated the lived
experience of Australian women diagnosed with breast cancer. Emotional burden and women's response towards their
breast cancer diagnosis were key themes. Experience of decision- making , social distress, symptoms beyond changes
in their body, fertility considerations and their role as mothers were some of the challenges during their treatment.
Women coped and adjusted with these challenges through the support of their family, and healthcare providers. Women
developed greater empowerment by making their life choices after treatment. Life choices such as getting into a new
relationship was challenging for single women.
Although most women were emotionally supported
following their diagnosis, there are still areas where women could be better supported such as when having to break
the news of their breast cancer diagnosis to their children, provision of ongoing emotional support for caregivers of
women with breast cancer, providing constant emotional and informational support at the point of diagnosis and during
their treatment, tailoring treatments according to different stages of pregnancy, and discussion of fertility treatments
in timely manner by healthcare professionals.
乳腺癌是澳大利亚女性中第二常见的癌症。2019年，澳大利亚估计有19000名女性被诊断出患有乳腺癌，同年约有3058名女性死于该疾病。尽管澳大利亚发表了许多从不同角度研究乳腺癌的定性研究，但仅有有限的文献涉及澳大利亚女性从乳腺癌诊断、治疗及后续阶段的生活经历。
对定性研究进行元综合分析。纳入参与半结构化访谈或开放式问题调查的参与者。采用主题综合分析方法。
数据分析得出五个主题和13个子主题，阐述了被诊断患有乳腺癌的澳大利亚女性的生活经历。情感负担和女性对乳腺癌诊断的反应是关键主题。决策经历、社会困扰、身体变化之外的症状、生育考虑以及她们作为母亲的角色是治疗期间的一些挑战。女性通过家人和医疗服务提供者的支持应对并适应这些挑战。治疗后通过做出生活选择，女性获得了更大的自主权。对于单身女性来说，诸如开始新恋情等生活选择具有挑战性。
尽管大多数女性在诊断后得到了情感支持，但仍有一些领域可以为女性提供更好的支持，比如向孩子透露乳腺癌诊断消息时、为乳腺癌女性的照顾者提供持续的情感支持、在诊断时及治疗期间提供持续的情感和信息支持、根据怀孕的不同阶段调整治疗方案，以及医疗专业人员及时讨论生育治疗问题。
