The Face of Suffering Among Women With Breast Cancer—Being in a Field of Forces

Abstract

Through qualitative interviews, the suffering experiences of women with breast cancer and their significant others were disclosed. Seventeen women with different stages of breast cancer and 16 significant others from 4 different care cultures in Sweden and Finland participated. Five of the women had advanced metastatic breast cancer, and 12 had a localized disease. Mean age was 48 years. As a methodology, a team approach, inspired by the Vancouver School of Doing Phenomenology, was used. The findings elucidate how the suffering experience touched the women's inner existence and values. This can metaphorically be described as a "field of force" and affected everything in the women's lives, including their views of themselves and their relationships. Existential questions were raised about life and death and the meaning of life. In their suffering, the women's dependency upon significant others, as well as healthcare personnel, was prominent. Suffering related to healthcare was a strong theme. Different faces of suffering related to breast cancer may still be unknown by healthcare professionals working in cancer care.

An Exploration of the Existential Experiences of Patients Following Curative Treatment for Cancer: Reflections from a U.K. Sample

“…These findings support and add to those of previous research, which has shown that isolation can be experienced at many different stages of the cancer journey (Arman, Rehnsfeldt, Lindholm & Hamrin, 2002), not least in the post-treatment phase (Halldorsdottir & Hamrin, 1996). One reason for this may be that cancer survivors often experience a sense of social stigma and can be seen as 'omens of hazard' and discouraged by society from expressing their feelings (McKenzie & Crouch, 2004).…”

The Actual Experiences of the Living World among Cancer Patients

“…탐구가 힘들며 환자들이 다른 방식으로 표현해내는 중요한 문 제들을 간과하기 쉽다 (Larsson et al, 2007) 암환자의 경험에 대한 질적 연구를 살펴보면 진행성 암환자 (Coyle, 2006;Tae, Cho, & Hong, 2003), 유방암 환자 (Arman, Rehnsfeldt, Lindholm, & Hamrin, 2002;Kooken, Haase, & Russell, 2007;Vargens & Bertero, 2007), 위암 환자 (Lee, 1996), 자가골수이식 암환자 (Jones & Chapman, 2000), 노인 암 환자 (Thome, Esbensen, Dykes, & Hallberg, 2004), 화학 요법 (Mitchell, 2007), 방사선요법 (Larsson et al, 2007), 수 술요법 (Kim, Park, Kim, & Kim, 2004), 의사소통 (Kvale, 2007;Papadopoulos & Lees, 2004) 등을 중심으로 연구되었 다. 그러나 많은 암환자들은 질환자체보다 현재를 살아나가는 데 초점을 맞추기를 원한다 (Kvale, 2007) …”

Involving users in service planning: A focus group approach

“…However, the participants in this study felt that appointments with the doctor were reassuring to know that clinically there were no problems detected and they did not discuss a need for psychological and emotional assessment. Arman et al (2002) discovered that women who experienced breast cancer found themselves in a situation that changed their lives, their perspectives on life, and their relationships. Nothing was now experienced as it had been prior to the diagnosis of breast cancer, and everything in their lives became centred on the event.…”