Salafia Caroline, Adamsons Kari
Department of Human Development and Family Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut, USA.
Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, USA.
J Fam Theory Rev. 2025 Sep;17(3):549-564. doi: 10.1111/jftr.12612. Epub 2025 Jan 28.
Breast cancer is the second most common cancer diagnosed among women in the United States. Although advances in detection and medical treatment have improved survival rates, breast cancer survivors experience physical symptoms and psychological distress that can adversely impact their quality of life. Examining the quality of life in breast cancer survivors is important as it may inform supportive services, patient-centered care, and well-being after treatment. Theoretical perspectives such as ambiguous loss theory can assist in understanding the factors that shape quality of life. Ambiguous loss theory, developed by Pauline Boss, refers to a loss that remains unclear, unresolved, and lacks closure. Grief theorists have acknowledged grief associated with symbolic losses, such as the loss of health status. The current article integrates empirical research and established constructs derived from ambiguous loss theory to develop a middle-range theory focused on explaining quality of life among breast cancer survivors.
乳腺癌是美国女性中第二常见的确诊癌症。尽管检测和医疗方面的进步提高了生存率，但乳腺癌幸存者仍会经历身体症状和心理困扰，这些都会对她们的生活质量产生不利影响。研究乳腺癌幸存者的生活质量很重要，因为这可能为支持性服务、以患者为中心的护理以及治疗后的幸福感提供参考。诸如模糊丧失理论等理论观点有助于理解影响生活质量的因素。由波林·博斯提出的模糊丧失理论指的是一种仍不明确、未解决且缺乏结局的丧失。悲伤理论家已经认识到与象征性丧失相关的悲伤，比如健康状况的丧失。本文整合了实证研究和从模糊丧失理论衍生出的既定概念，以发展出一个侧重于解释乳腺癌幸存者生活质量的中程理论。
