Structural Model for Physical and Psychological Suffering Experienced by Women in Breast Cancer Treatment Process

Abstract

Abstract

This study aimed to clarify physical and psychological suffering during the medical care process of females with breast cancer, and build a structural model. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 7 females during or after breast cancer treatment, and performed qualitative inductive analysis.

Concerning suffering experienced by the females during the medical care process, the first consultation was performed in a state of “focused therapy”, and the females “became aware of their life”, and experienced “pain caused by the waiting period for treatment”. Until admission, they constantly “hated cancer”, repeatedly “predicted the outcome” and “were controlled by emotions”, and lived while being aware of death. From admission until surgery, “strong conflict” continued even after they decided to undergo treatment. After surgery, while developing “adverse physical and psychological reactions”, they had “a feeling of inconsistency with no way to resolve this” and felt “self-alienation in medical care”. Negative feelings toward additional treatment were expressed as “veiled emotion”. Since treatment had priority over life, they had “a feeling of being weak” despite their “self-alienation”. Concerning additional treatment, they sometimes “not have treatment due to uncontrollable matters” in their life. In radiotherapy, they “fought against a latent fear” of X-ray exposure, but made “efforts toward continuation and maintenance”. In chemotherapy, while they experienced “related side effects”, they “behaved normally in daily life” but were “affected by the necessity of continuing treatment”. In endocrine therapy, while “physical symptoms develop as a result of abnormal hormone suppression” , women “maintained their fight against the disease” with “an objective view of treatment”. In regular examinations, they made efforts while “feeling responsible for their body” despite “physical and psychological exhaustion”. Their fight against the disease was maintained by “receiving supportive information from females with the same experience”, but “awareness of the disease” markedly increased during every examination.

This suggests that breast cancer patients are strongly affected by treatment not only during treatment, but also the entire medical care process, which markedly affects their gender roles.