[Parcours de femmes. Opinion survey carried out among women treated for gynecologic and breast cancers and their medical care teams].

The opinion survey "Parcours de femmes" initiated in partnership with Bristol-Myers Squibb was conducted by la Ligue nationale contre le cancer between November 1993 and May 1995 and by Sofres Institute. The aim of the study was to increase knowledge of experience of feminine cancers, both by patients and by different treatment teams. Two thousand eight hundred and seventy-four women treated for one of these diseases answered anonymously on a form with sixty-eight questions. Eighty-one individual interviews gave the opinion of the general practitioners and specialists concerned, as well as nursing and hospital staff, pharmacists, health leaders in the private or public fields. The results of this opinion survey highlight and confirm needs, deficiencies, and aspirations of everyone involved. The data show the importance of information, explanations and dialogue at every stage of the disease. The data specify the lines of support to be developed: calming distress, stimulating hope and the will to recover. They also indicate a need for psychological support outside the family and the medical environment as well as for treatment teams. The necessity to improve the hospital environment as well as access to maternal aid during and after treatment to make reinsertion easier are also demonstrated. Apart from associations and help services (such as home care), institutionals do not all have the same sensitivity expect to this pathology. Many people consider it has nothing specific in comparison to other pathologies or to other women in difficulties. They reject the idea of implementing specific measures and valorize research and prevention actions.