Psychosocial health care needs in a group of women newly diagnosed with breast cancer

Psychosocial Health Care Needs in a Group of Women
Newly Diagnosed with Breast Cancer
Villadsen, Ingrid1, Henriksen, Jette1, Meldgaard, Anette1,
Zerlang, Ida2, Jensen-Johansen, Mikael Birkelund1
1VIA University College, Holstebro, Denmark,
2Department on Oncology, Regional Hospital West
Jutland, Herning, Denmark
Background: Psychosocial implications for patients in the
recovery phase after breast cancer treatment has been
intensively investigated in recent years, however, little is
known about the psychosocial and physical needs of Danish
breast cancer patients during the phase of transition
from diagnosis to early treatment.
Aim: The aim of the study was to provide detailed insights
into the physic and psychosocial health care needs in a
group of women newly diagnosed with breast cancer and
in the midst of their primary treatment phase.
Study design and methods: This study had a descriptive
design with data collection including 12 semi-structured
interviews with 6 women undergoing radiation therapy
and 6 women undergoing chemotherapy. Three experienced
researchers analyzed the transcripted interviews
independently according toe five steps (Kvale, 1997). The
analyses resulted in four themes.
Results:
Uncertainty was experienced in the period from point of
diagnosis to treatment begins. The women experienced a
kind of rootlessness and inability to cope with shifting
departments in charge of their different parts of their
treatment.
Powerlessness in the sense of losing control of almost
every part of their lives. “I want my hair and my life back,”
they said, illustrating a normal life putt on “hold” because
the cancer came “as a thief in the night”.
Employment situation was a big issue for the women
and interpreted as a manifestation of the important feeling
of normality, cohesion, networking and obtaining
self-efficacy.
Ruminations regarding the future included worries
about “time left to live in” and self-contradictions as “I am
fully recovered - right?”. The ruminations also led to acts
and decisions without the women’s usual thoughtfulness
and logic.
Conclusion: Understanding the above mentioned needs in
a transition process from early treatment to recovery is
important in order to assist health care professionals predict
signs of early rehabilitation needs.