How did women with breast cancer experience the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic? A qualitative study

Savard, Josée; Jobin-Théberge, Adèle; Massicotte, Véronique; Banville, Catherine

doi:10.1007/s00520-021-06089-w

Cited by 42 publications

(91 citation statements)

References 25 publications

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“…Consistent with this finding, Hyland and Jim showed that cancer patients felt worried, afraid and disappointed due to COVID-19 ( Hyland and Jim, 2020 ). In a qualitative study with patients with breast cancer, Savard et al revealed that the patients had increased psychological distress and worries about contracting COVID-19 ( Savard et al, 2021 ). Hintermayer et al found that cancer patients were worried about inaccessibility of treatment, diagnostic tests and/or follow-up care ( Hintermayer et al, 2020 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The patients also noted that they could not take advantage of their free time because of prohibition of social gatherings and travels. Savard et al also found out that social isolation led to psychological distress during cancer treatment ( Savard et al, 2021 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Colomer-Lahiguera et al reported that cancer patients were resistant and adopted positive coping strategies they learned from their experiences with cancer ( Colomer-Lahiguera et al, 2021 ). Savard et al showed that the women utilized coping strategies like following precautions against COVID-19 (wearing a mask in enclosed public places), receiving support from a professional, avoidance of talking about COVID-19 and giving up watching news programs ( Savard et al, 2021 ). It is important that professional support strengthens coping with stressful conditions due to the diagnosis and treatment of cancer.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It is important to determine what difficulties women receiving treatment for cancer have in order to plan appropriate nursing care for these patients. There have been few qualitative studies on what women with breast and gynecological cancers experience during the COVID-19 pandemic ( Savard et al, 2021 ). Gynecological cancers, jeopardizing women's health, are very common after breast cancer ( Bray et al, 2018 ; WHO, 2018 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic not only has been stressful for everyone but also has led to psychological problems in the sensitive group cancer patients (Savard et al, 2021;Hyland and Jim, 2020;Moran, Brooks and Spoozak, 2020). According to results of the studies performed with cancer patients during the pandemic, 5.6% of the cancer patients affected by COVID-19 died (Wu and McGoogan, 2020) and the risk of death was 3.5 times higher in cancer patients contracting COVID-19 than that of other affected patient groups (Liang et al, 2020;Paterson et al, 2020).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Experiences and coping strategies of women receiving treatment for breast and gynecological cancers during the COVID-19 pandemic: A qualitative study

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Serçekuş

et al. 2021

European Journal of Oncology Nursing

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Purpose The aim of this study was to examine experiences and coping strategies of women receiving treatment for breast and gynecological cancers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods A descriptive, phenomenological approach was adopted. The study included 15 women receiving treatment for breast and gynecological cancers in the chemotherapy center of a university hospital. Data was collected with a descriptive characteristic form and semi-structured in-depth interviews. Results Data analysis revealed three main themes: Problems, protection and coping. The main theme of 'problems' was grouped into four categories: living with anxiety and fear, social isolation, physical difficulties, and financial difficulties. 'Protection' was grouped into four categories: decreased stigmatization, increased preventive measures, increased communication between family members, and keeping distance. Coping was grouped into four categories: religious practices, social support, positive thinking, and hobbies. Conclusions The participants were found to experience psychosocial, financial and physical difficulties. However, they also mentioned positive aspects of the pandemic: elimination of stigmatization due to the obligation for everyone to wear a mask, lack of visits due to the lockdown and enhanced communication with family members due to increased time spent at home. Religious practices, social support, positive thinking and spending time on hobbies were helpful to cope with the problems experienced during the pandemic. The results of this study can guide nurses in offering high-quality nursing care and counseling to women treated for breast and gynecological cancers during the pandemic.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Experiences and coping strategies of women receiving treatment for breast and gynecological cancers during the COVID-19 pandemic: A qualitative study

Türkcü

Uludağ

Serçekuş

et al. 2021

European Journal of Oncology Nursing

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Perspectives of patients undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer during the COVID‐19 pandemic

et al. 2023

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BackgroundThe COVID‐19 pandemic resulted in a lapse in routine health care and cancer screenings for many individuals. This study sought to improve our understanding of the impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic on women being treated for breast cancer, both in general, and specifically related to their diagnosis.MethodsSemi‐structured interviews were conducted between August 2021 and February 2022 with women who were receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy for early‐stage breast cancer at the Stefanie Spielman Comprehensive Breast Center in Columbus, Ohio. Interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Transcripts were coded using deductive dominant thematic analysis and inductive coding that allowed for categorization of data as well as identification of emergent themes.ResultsData collected from our 19 interviews revealed that the COVID‐19 pandemic posed important challenges for breast cancer patients including fear of COVID‐19 infection and feelings of isolation. Most interviewees noted they had been vaccinated against COVID‐19 because of a desire to protect themselves and others from getting sick. Some women also expressed concerns about having delayed their screening mammograms due to the pandemic. Several patients described unexpected positive aspects of the pandemic such as being able to spend more time with family and having the ability to continue working because of the option to work from home during their cancer treatment.ConclusionsOur findings provide important insight about the impact of COVID‐19 on breast cancer patients. We highlight the positives that have been reported because of the pandemic, as well as the need to address delayed breast cancer screening.

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Psychosocial well‐being during the COVID‐19 pandemic among women with and without breast cancer

Pinheiro

Fasano

et al. 2023

Psycho-Oncology

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Objective: Treatment delays in combination with general social distancing practices to reduce transmission may have negative impacts on the mental health of women with breast cancer who may need more social and emotional support. We sought to elucidate the psychosocial effects of the COVID-19 pandemic among women with and without breast cancer in New York City. Methods:We conducted a prospective cohort study among women aged 18+ across the spectrum of breast health care at New York Presbyterian (NYP)-Weill Cornell, NYP-Brooklyn Methodist Hospital and NYP-Queens. Women were contacted between June and October 2021 to assess their self-reported depression, stress, and anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic. We compared women who were recently diagnosed, those with a history of breast cancer, and women without cancer whose other health visits were delayed during the pandemic.Results: There were 85 women who completed the survey. Breast cancer survivors (42%) were the least likely to report a delay in care due to COVID compared to breast cancer patients who were recently diagnosed (67%) and women without cancer (67%). Compared to women without cancer and breast cancer survivors, women recently diagnosed with breast cancer reported higher levels of anxiety and depression with a statistically significant difference in perceived stress. Conclusions: Our findings highlight the need to identify and risk-stratify patients facing a new breast cancer diagnosis in and around the COVID-19 pandemic who may benefit from additional resources to mitigate the adverse impacts of the pandemic and a breast cancer diagnosis on psychosocial health.

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How did women with breast cancer experience the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic? A qualitative study

Cited by 42 publications

References 25 publications

Experiences and coping strategies of women receiving treatment for breast and gynecological cancers during the COVID-19 pandemic: A qualitative study

Experiences and coping strategies of women receiving treatment for breast and gynecological cancers during the COVID-19 pandemic: A qualitative study

Perspectives of patients undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer during the COVID‐19 pandemic

Psychosocial well‐being during the COVID‐19 pandemic among women with and without breast cancer

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