Project PINK BLUE-Health & Psychological Trust Centre, Abuja, Nigeria.
Department of Sociology & Gerontology, Miami University, Oxford, OH, USA.
Support Care Cancer. 2024 Jan 18;32(2):112. doi: 10.1007/s00520-024-08316-6.
PURPOSE: Nigeria has the highest burden of breast cancer (BC) in Africa. While the survival rates for BC are over 90% in many high-income countries; low-and middle-income countries like Nigeria have 40% BC survival rates. Prior studies show that the burden and poor BC survival rates are exacerbated by both health system and individual level factors, yet there is a paucity of literature on the experiences of BC survivors in Nigeria. Hence, this study explored the divergent and convergent experiences of BC survivors in accessing, navigating, and coping with treatment. METHODS: Participants (N = 24, aged 35 to 73 years) were recruited and engaged in focus group discussions (group 1, n = 11; group 2, n = 13 participants). Transcripts were transcribed verbatim and analyzed with inductive thematic analysis. RESULTS: Four themes were identified: "I am carrying this [breast cancer] alone," "Living my life," "'God' helped me," and "A very painful journey." Participants described how they concealed their BC diagnosis from family and significant others while accessing and navigating BC treatment. Also, they adopted spiritual beliefs as a coping mechanism while sticking to their treatment and acknowledging the burden of BC on their well-being. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings explored the emotional burden of BC diagnosis and treatment and the willingness of the BC survivors to find meaning in their diagnosis. Treatment for BC survivors should integrate supportive care and innovative BC access tools to reduce pain and mitigate the burdens of BC. IMPLICATIONS FOR CANCER SURVIVORS: The integration of innovative technologies for venous access and other treatment needs of BC is crucial and will improve survivorship. Non-disclosure of BC diagnosis is personal and complicated; hence, BC survivors need to be supported at various levels of care and treatment to make meaningful decisions. To improve survivorship, patient engagement is crucial in shared decision-making, collaboration, and active participation in care.
目的:尼日利亚是非洲乳腺癌(BC)负担最重的国家。虽然在许多高收入国家,BC 的生存率超过 90%;但像尼日利亚这样的中低收入国家,BC 的生存率仅为 40%。先前的研究表明,BC 的负担和较差的生存率既受到卫生系统因素的影响,也受到个人层面因素的影响,但关于尼日利亚 BC 幸存者经历的文献却很少。因此,本研究探讨了 BC 幸存者在获得、应对和处理治疗方面的不同经历。
方法:招募了 24 名年龄在 35 岁至 73 岁的参与者,并让他们参加焦点小组讨论(第 1 组,n=11;第 2 组,n=13 名参与者)。对转录本进行逐字转录,并采用归纳主题分析进行分析。
结果:确定了四个主题:“我一个人带着这个(乳腺癌)”、“过我的生活”、“‘上帝’帮助了我”和“一段非常痛苦的旅程”。参与者描述了他们在获得和应对 BC 治疗时如何向家人和重要他人隐瞒 BC 诊断。此外,他们还采用了精神信仰作为应对机制,同时坚持治疗并承认 BC 对他们健康的负担。
结论:我们的研究结果探讨了 BC 诊断和治疗带来的情感负担,以及 BC 幸存者在诊断中寻找意义的意愿。BC 幸存者的治疗应整合支持性护理和创新的 BC 获得工具,以减轻痛苦并减轻 BC 的负担。
对癌症幸存者的启示:创新的静脉通路技术和其他 BC 治疗需求的整合至关重要,将提高生存率。不公开 BC 诊断是个人和复杂的问题;因此,BC 幸存者需要在各个层面的护理和治疗中得到支持,以便做出有意义的决策。为了提高生存率,患者的参与对于共同决策、协作和积极参与护理至关重要。
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