Experiences of women with breast cancer undergoing chemotherapy: A study at Ho Teaching Hospital, Ghana

Abstract

Breast cancer is the most often diagnosed cancer and the primary cause of cancer deaths among females worldwide. Breast cancer has become a major public health concern globally and especially in lowand middle-income countries (LMICs) (Coughlin et al., 2017). Breast cancer is also the second most frequently diagnosed cancer globally and the leading cause of cancer deaths associated with women in over 100 countries (Bray et al., 2018; World Health Organization, 2019). Researchers have documented an increase in the incidence of breast cancer cases globally which is projected to double by 2030 particularly in LMICs. Breast cancer diagnosis coupled with its treatment experiences has a direct impact on women in all spheres of their lives, be it physical, psychological and social, leading to the deterioration of psychosocial adaptation which affects their family life and social relationships negatively (Dempster et al., 2015). The distress faced with breast cancer diagnosis and treatment is numerous.Patients diagnosed with breast cancer have psychological or emotional concerns about altered body image, self-esteem, issues with fertility and sexuality. Diagnosis is also associated with shock, unknown outcomes of disease, death, creating a sense of sadness,

Perception of mHealth Intervention for Psychoeducational Support Among Nigerian Women Receiving Chemotherapy for Breast Cancer: A Qualitative Study

“…These areas are similar to the information needs found in this population ndings from previous studies [31,32]. Inadequate information before chemotherapy was also found in previous studies conducted in Nigeria [9] and Ghana [33], where the women receiving chemotherapy did not know much about the treatment.…”

Perceived feasibility and usefulness of mHealth interventions for psychoeducational support among Nigerian women receiving chemotherapy for breast cancer: a focus group study

“…These areas are similar to the information needs found in this population’s findings from previous studies [ 53 , 54 ]. Inadequate information before chemotherapy was also found in previous studies conducted in Nigeria [ 9 ] and Ghana [ 55 ], where the women receiving chemotherapy did not know much about the treatment. This highlights the need to provide PEIs to this group of people to address their unmet psychological and informational needs.…”

Social isolation in adults with cancer: An evolutionary concept analysis

“…Physiological change is the most common antecedent of social isolation among cancer survivors. Cancer survivors may experience physical and functional impairments caused by their illness and treatment, thus resulting in limited social integration ( Noyes et al, 1990 ; Sandén and Hydén, 2002 ; Johansson et al, 2005 ; Lund-Nielsen et al, 2005 ; Bennett et al, 2006 ; Simonelli and Otto, 2017 ; De Blasi et al, 2018 ; Abdollahimohammad et al, 2019 ; Borgi et al, 2020 ; Stolley et al, 2020 ; Yuan et al, 2020 ; He et al, 2021 ; Kudjawu and Agyeman-Yeboah, 2021 ; Tsui and Huang, 2021 ). For instance, the complications associated with head and neck cancer, such as disfigurement, dysphagia, and speech impairment, can impair social functioning among survivors, exacerbating social isolation ( Rogers et al, 2016 ; Moore et al, 2018 ; Kirtane et al, 2022 ).…”

“…Furthermore, social isolation is a phenomenon associated with severe health consequences and has been expanded to cancer. Specifically, in the context of oncology, social isolation has been analyzed primarily in patients with breast, prostate, head and neck, and lung cancers ( Ettridge et al, 2018 ; Ashi et al, 2020 ; Dornan et al, 2021 ; Kudjawu and Agyeman-Yeboah, 2021 ).…”