Experiences of women with breast cancer receiving chemotherapy: A qualitative study

Year 2024, Volume: 5 Issue: 1, 42 - 48, 30.04.2024

Gül Dural

https://doi.org/10.61534/anatoljhr.1394597

Abstract

Aim: This study was conducted to determine the experiences of women with breast cancer who were receiving chemotherapy.
Methods: The study was conducted with 15 women with breast cancer who were receiving chemotheraphy treatment in eastern Türkiye between December 2022 and April 2023, by using a qualitative descriptive design. Two forms were created by the researcher according to the purpose of the research and the population. The first form contains information of the participants, and the second form includes semi-structured interview questions. Inductive thematic analysis was used to evaluate the data. Ethics committee approval was obtained.
Results: Mean age of the women in the study was 47.26 ± 10.21. It was found that 53% of the women were university graduates, 93% were married, 67% were unemployed, 73% had average level of income, 66% had no comorbid chronic disease and 53% had stage two cancer. As a result of the thematic analysis, five themes and sixteen sub-themes were determined: The themes were; (1) Receiving the first diagnosis (2) Emotional experiences, (3) Changes in life, (4) Symptom management, (5) Sources of information during treatment.
Conclusion: It was found that receiving chemotherapy treatment created many problems, especially physical and emotional, in women with breast cancer. However, the women continued their treatment without giving up. The steps to be taken to define and understand these problems well will play an active role in women’s coping with the disease effectively.

Keywords

Breast cancer, chemotherapy, experience

Kemoterapi alan meme kanserli kadınların deneyimleri: Niteliksel bir çalışma

Abstract

Amaç: Bu çalışma kemoterapi alan meme kanserli kadınların deneyimlerini belirlemek amacıyla yapıldı.
Yöntem: Araştırma, Aralık 2022 ile Nisan 2023 tarihleri arasında Türkiye'nin doğusunda kemoterapi tedavisi gören 15 meme kanserli kadın ile niteliksel tanımlayıcı tasarım kullanılarak gerçekleştirildi. Araştırmanın amacına ve evrene göre araştırmacı tarafından iki form oluşturulmuştur. Birinci form katılımcılara ait bilgileri, ikinci form ise yarı yapılandırılmış görüşme sorularını içermektedir. Verilerin değerlendirilmesinde tümevarımsal tematik analiz kullanılmıştır. Etik kurul onayı alındı.
Bulgular: Araştırmaya katılan kadınların yaş ortalaması 47.26±10.21 idi. Kadınların %53'ünün üniversite mezunu, %93'ünün evli, %67'sinin işsiz olduğu, %73'ünün ortalama gelir düzeyinde olduğu, %66'sının ek kronik hastalığı bulunmadığı ve %53'ünün ikinci evre kanser hastası olduğu belirlendi. Tematik analiz sonucunda beş tema ve on altı alt tema belirlendi: Temalar; (1) İlk tanının alınması, (2) Duygusal deneyimler, (3) Yaşamdaki değişiklikler, (4) Semptom yönetimi, (5) Tedavi sırasındaki bilgi kaynakları.
Sonuçlar: Kemoterapi tedavisi almanın meme kanserli kadınlarda başta fiziksel ve duygusal olmak üzere birçok sorun yarattığı belirlendi. Ancak kadınlar pes etmeden tedavilerine devam etti. Bu sorunların iyi tanımlanması ve anlaşılması için atılacak adımlar, kadınların hastalıkla etkili bir şekilde baş etmesinde etkin rol oynayacaktır.

Keywords

deneyim, kemoterapi, meme kanseri

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