The aim of this study was to explore reasons for delay in seeking medical help and nonadherence to treatment in Indonesian women with breast cancer. Method: Semistructured interviews were conducted by purposive sampling, using a consecutive sample of 50 breast cancer patients who were treated at the Outpatient Surgical Oncology Clinic of Hasan Sadikin Hospital in Bandung, Indonesia. Interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim, and coded using qualitative software. Codes were merged into main themes that were subsequently mapped onto the study's aim. Results: Eight main themes concerning reasons for delay in seeking medical help and treatment nonadherence emerged, namely: lack of awareness and knowledge, cancer beliefs, treatment beliefs, financial problems, emotional burden, severe side effects, paternalistic style of communication, and unmet information needs. Conclusion:This study has identified several modifiable psychosocial and cultural factors related to delay in seeking help and nonadherence to treatment in breast cancer patients. We suggest that the provision of extensive information through media campaigns, treatment decision aids, and caregiver and patient education are needed to change the illness behaviors of Indonesian breast cancer patients.

Satisfaction with the information provided is associated with better health outcomes, including more positive illness perceptions. This study appears to highlight the importance of providing adequate and sufficient information that meets the needs of patients.

PurposeThis study aims to translate the Distress Thermometer (DT) into Indonesian, test its validity in Indonesian women with breast cancer and determine norm scores of the Indonesian DT for clinically relevant distress.MethodsFirst, the original version of the DT was translated using a forward and backward translation procedure according to the guidelines. Next, a group of 120 breast cancer patients who were treated at the Outpatient Surgical Oncology Clinic in Hasan Sadikin Hospital in Indonesia completed a standard socio-demographic form, the DT and the Problem List, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and the WHO Quality of Life (WHOQOL-BREF).ResultsReceiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses identified an area under the curve = 0.81 when compared to the HADS cutoff score of 15. A cutoff score of 5 on the DT had the best sensitivity (0.81) and specificity (0.64). Patients who scored above this cutoff reported more problems in the practical, family, emotional, spiritual/religious and physical domains (30 out of 36 problems, p-value<0.05) than patients below the cutoff score. Patients at advanced stages of cancer experienced more emotional and physical problems. Patient's distress level was negatively correlated with overall quality of life, general health and all quality of life domains.ConclusionsThe DT was found to be a valid tool for screening distress in Indonesian breast cancer patients. We recommend using a cutoff score of 5 in this population.

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Background: Male breast cancer is a rare case. It accounts for 1% of all breast cancer cases. Both female and male breast cancers were influenced by the same risk factors. Male breast cancer patients are typically associated with advanced stages, higher grades, higher prevalence of hormone receptor-positive, and a worse prognosis. Many factors can explain the late diagnosis in men: absence of screening programs, lack of awareness about the condition by the male population, embarrassment due to a stigmatization of the disease, and misjudgment by primary care physicians. The aim of study is to improve the knowledge about the biology tumor and characteristics, risk factor, and management of male breast cancer. Case presentation: Two patients who were studied were a man with 50 years old, without malignancy on their family and testicles disease. First patients was diagnosed with mucinous adenocarsinoma grade II on right breast luminal A subtype T4bN0M0 and second patient was diagnosed with Ductal carcinoma in situ on right breast luminal B Her2 negative subtype TisN0M0 as preoperative diagnosis and Invasive solid papillary carcinoma grade III on right breast T2N0M0 as post operative diagnosis. Both of them were operated with modified radical mastectomy. First patient was given neoadjuvant chemotherapy, adjuvant chemotherapy and tamoxifen as endocrine therapy. Second patient was given adjuvant chemotherapy and tamoxifen as endocrine therapy.   Conclusion: Both of patients on serial cases are male breast cancer with hormone receptor positive and they were given endocrine therapy. The majority characteristic of male breast cancer was hormone receptor-positive. Management of male breast cancer is similar overall to management of female breast cancer in modality surgery, chemotherapy, endocrine therapy, and radiotherapy.