Breast cancer patients' experience of menopause care in the UK: thematic analysis of free-text comments.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to explore women's experience of menopause care after breast cancer in the UK.

METHODS

This study is a thematic analysis of free-text comments in an online survey that asked women about their experience of menopause care after breast cancer. A coding framework was used that mapped comments to eight domains of patient experience (deductive analysis). An inductive approach was used to identify subthemes within each of the eight domains.

RESULTS

A total of 1,195 women completed the survey. Two hundred twenty-six women (18.9%) left free-text comments in response to questions about shared decision making and patient experience. Most were White (96.9%), university educated (52.6%), and aged 41 to 60 years at breast cancer diagnosis (81.8%). The menopausal symptom burden was high (96.5%, 87.6%, and 75.7% reported physical, psychological, and genitourinary symptoms, respectively). Lack of involvement in shared decision making was the dominant theme (n = 120, 53%), followed by issues concerning access to menopause care (n = 65, 29%). Lack of information, communication issues, and feeling unsupported were prevalent themes/subthemes. Twenty women (9%) reported a lack of courtesy and respect in their interactions with healthcare professionals.

CONCLUSIONS

In this study, women's experience of menopause-related breast cancer aftercare was poor. Larger studies are needed to qualitatively explore the experience, unmet needs, and expectations of all breast cancer survivors including women from more deprived and ethnic minority groups.