Discipline of Occupational Therapy, School of Health Sciences, University of Sydney, Level 7, Susan Wakil Building, NSW 2006, Australia.
Discipline of Occupational Therapy, School of Health Sciences, University of Sydney, Level 7, Susan Wakil Building, NSW 2006, Australia.
Maturitas. 2024 Oct;188:108089. doi: 10.1016/j.maturitas.2024.108089. Epub 2024 Aug 9.
Middle-aged women (i.e., aged 40-65 years) who live with, through and beyond breast cancer (survivors) are an under-researched population, particularly within an Australian context. The unmet needs reported within this population include fatigue, psychological distress, body image concerns, early-onset menopause, and a lack of information on these issues. This study explores how the experiences of breast cancer survivorship impact the lives of Australian middle-aged women.
Qualitative analysis of written comments in an open text field of a survey completed by 644 women reporting breast cancer in the middle-aged cohort of the Australian Longitudinal Study of Women's Health gathered between 1996 and 2013. Data was collected from any participants who reported breast cancer in any survey. Researchers conducted a thematic analysis using consensus coding on data and identified key themes.
Any data where participants described their experiences of breast cancer survivorship.
This cohort reported a unique experience of breast cancer survivorship due to their age group. Analysis developed the following themes: the middle-aged context of breast cancer; care and support, body changes, overcoming fears and maintaining balance; and finding a 'new normal'.
Breast cancer survivorship is a diverse experience. For many it involves chronic limitations and challenges. Investigation and application of survivorship care plans in Australia could benefit breast cancer survivors by including multidisciplinary health professionals in their care. Unmet needs and psychological distress were described by participants rather than biomedical concerns. Further recommendations include development of online support groups providing access to rehabilitation professionals, especially for otherwise isolated rural women.
与乳腺癌（幸存者）共同生活、经历并超越乳腺癌的中年女性（即 40-65 岁）是一个研究不足的人群，尤其是在澳大利亚的背景下。该人群报告的未满足需求包括疲劳、心理困扰、身体形象问题、早发性绝经以及缺乏关于这些问题的信息。本研究探讨了乳腺癌幸存者的经历如何影响澳大利亚中年女性的生活。
对 1996 年至 2013 年间在澳大利亚妇女健康纵向研究中中年队列中完成的 644 名报告乳腺癌的女性的调查中开放文本字段的书面评论进行定性分析。数据来自任何报告在任何调查中患有乳腺癌的参与者。研究人员使用共识编码对数据进行主题分析，并确定了关键主题。
任何参与者描述其乳腺癌幸存者经历的数据。
由于年龄组的原因，该队列报告了一种独特的乳腺癌幸存者体验。分析得出以下主题：乳腺癌的中年背景；护理和支持、身体变化、克服恐惧和保持平衡；以及寻找“新常态”。
乳腺癌的幸存者经历是多样化的。对许多人来说，这涉及到慢性限制和挑战。在澳大利亚，通过将多学科卫生专业人员纳入其护理中，对生存者护理计划的调查和应用可能会使乳腺癌幸存者受益。参与者描述的是未满足的需求和心理困扰，而不是生物医学问题。进一步的建议包括开发在线支持小组，为康复专业人员提供获取机会，特别是对于那些原本孤立的农村妇女。
