Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
Department of Clinical Nursing Services, Muhimbili National Hospital, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
PLoS One. 2023 Aug 10;18(8):e0289925. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0289925. eCollection 2023.
Cervical cancer continues to be a major global public health concern affecting the lives of many women and resulting in financial burdens. In 2020, cervical cancer was the seventh most commonly diagnosed cancer among all cancers worldwide and Tanzania was ranked fourth among the countries with the highest incidence rates (59.1 new cases per 100,000 women) of cervical cancer. The lived experience and caring needs of patients and their families provide insights into the psychosocial aspects of healthcare among the affected population. However, there is inadequate information concerning the lived experiences of cervical cancer patients in Tanzania and Sub-Saharan Africa in general. This study aimed to explore the lived experiences and caring needs of cervical cancer patients at Ocean Road Cancer Institute (ORCI) in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
A qualitative descriptive study was carried out among cervical cancer patients at ORCI in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Using a purposeful sampling technique, 12 cervical cancer patients were interviewed with the principles of saturation guiding sample size determination. A semi-structured face-to-face interview guide was employed to collect the information. A conventional content analysis approach was used to analyze data after translation with the aid of NVivo 12.0 computer software.
Five themes emerged after data analysis: knowledge and attitude about cervical cancer, sufferings from a disease process, socio-economic disruptions, psychological problems, and sexual and reproductive concerns.
The findings of this study provide insights into the life experiences and caring needs of cervical cancer patients and call for response from healthcare stakeholders to develop and implement comprehensive and culturally consonant approaches in providing care to the affected population. More qualitative studies are required to ascertain the lived experiences of advanced cervical cancer patients and those of long-term cervical cancer survivors.
宫颈癌仍然是一个严重的全球公共卫生问题，影响着许多女性的生活，并造成经济负担。2020 年，宫颈癌是全球所有癌症中第七种最常见的癌症，坦桑尼亚在宫颈癌发病率最高的国家中排名第四（每 10 万名妇女中有 59.1 例新发病例）。患者及其家属的生活体验和护理需求为了解受影响人群的心理社会方面提供了深入了解。然而，关于坦桑尼亚和撒哈拉以南非洲一般地区宫颈癌患者的生活体验的信息不足。本研究旨在探讨达累斯萨拉姆海洋路癌症研究所（ORCI）的宫颈癌患者的生活体验和护理需求。
在达累斯萨拉姆的坦桑尼亚海洋路癌症研究所（ORCI）进行了一项定性描述性研究。采用目的抽样技术，对 12 名宫颈癌患者进行了访谈，以达到指导样本量确定的饱和原则。采用半结构化面对面访谈指南收集信息。使用 NVivo 12.0 计算机软件进行翻译后，采用常规内容分析方法进行数据分析。
数据分析后出现了五个主题：对宫颈癌的知识和态度、疾病过程的痛苦、社会经济中断、心理问题和性与生殖关注。
本研究的结果深入了解了宫颈癌患者的生活体验和护理需求，呼吁医疗保健利益相关者制定和实施全面且符合文化的方法，为受影响人群提供护理。需要进行更多的定性研究来确定晚期宫颈癌患者和长期宫颈癌幸存者的生活体验。
