The Thoughts, Feelings and Behaviours of Young Women Who Familial Cancer History: A Qualitative Study

Year 2022, Volume: 3 Issue: 3, 157 - 167, 30.09.2022

Funda Evcili , Fatma Tok Yıldız

https://doi.org/10.51972/tfsd.1058598

Abstract

Purpose: This study purpose was to determine the thoughts, feelings and behaviours of young women who familial cancer history.
Material and Methods: This was a qualitative study. The criterion sampling method, which is one of the purposeful sampling methods, was used to determine the study group of the study. The study was conducted at a state university in Turkey. Between April and May 2019, 12 volunteer young women aged 17-24 were included in the study.
Results: The qualitative data were subjected to content analysis, and the main themes were determined. In the content analysis of the interviews, 7 main themes were determined: fear, coping methods, risk perception, carcinophobia, spirituality, healthy lifestyle behaviors, role change. It was observed that the participants frequently used statements that genetic predisposition and stress are risk factors for cancer, cancer negatively affects roles and responsibilities, and they believed the importance of early diagnosis. In this study, young women with a family history of breast and/or gynecological cancer were found to have higher cancer risk perceptions.
Conclusion: The familial cancer history, especially when managed well in high-risk populations, contributes to individuals to acquire healthy lifestyle behaviors and gain the ability to make conscious decisions. Healthcare professionals can play vital roles in presenting needed knowledge about breast / gynecological cancers and raising awareness in women.

Keywords

Young woman, familial cancer history, qualitative study

References

• Balasooriya‐Smeekens, C., Walter, F.M., Scott, S. (2015). The role of emotions in time to presentation for symptoms suggestive of cancer: a systematic literature review of quantitative studies. Psychooncology, 24:1594–1604.
• Braun, V., Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2): 77–101.
• Buxton, J.A., Bottorff, J.L., Balneaves, L.G., Richardson, C., McCullum, M., Ratner, P.A. et al. (2003). Women’s perceptions of breast cancer risk: are the accurate? Can J Public Health, 94(6): 422-426.
• Buyukozturk, S., Cakmak, E.K., Akgun, O.E., Karadeniz, S., Demirel, F. (2009). Sampling Methods Scientific Research Methods Book Presentation
• Cao, A.Y., He, M., Di, G.H., Wu, J., Lu, J.S., Liu, G.Y., et al. (2011). Influence of a family history of breast and/or ovarian cancer on breast cancer outcomes. Exp Ther Med, 2: 917-923.
• Caruso, A., Vigna, C., Marozzo, B., Sega, F.M., Sperduti, I., Cognetti, F., et al. (2009). Subjective versus objective risk in genetic counseling for hereditary breast and/or ovarian cancers. J Exp Clin Cancer Res, 28:157.
• Casellas-Grau, A., Font, A., Vives, J. (2014). Positive psychology interventions in breast cancer. A systematic review. Psychooncology, 23: 9-19.
• Chamie, K., Saigal, C.S. Litwin, M.S. (2011). Patients and solipsism: the psychology of decision making for prostate cancer treatment. Urol Oncol, 29: 233-234.
• Collaborative Group on Hormonal Factors in Breast Cancer. (2001). Familial breast cancer: Collaborative reanalysis of individual data from 52 epidemiological studies including 58 209 women with breast cancer and 101 986 women without the disease. The Lancet, 358:1389–1399.
• Dubayova, T., van Dijk, J.P., Nagyova, I., Rosenberger, J., Havlikova, E., Gdovinova, Z., et al. (2010). The impact of the intensity of fear on patient's delay regarding health care seeking behavior: a sys-tematic review. Int J Public Health, 55: 459–468.
• Ferrer, R., Klein, W.M. (2015). Risk perceptions and health behavior. Curr Opin Psychol, 5: 85–89.
• Gorin, S.S. (2010). Theory, measurement, and controversy in positive psychology, health psychology, and cancer: basics and next steps. Ann Behav Med, 39: 43-47.
• Haber, G., Ahmed, N.U., Pekovic, V. (2012). Family history of cancer and its association with breast cancer risk perception and repeat mammography. Am J Public Health, 102:2322-2329.
• Hay, J.L., Buckley, T.R., Ostroff, J.S. (2005). The role of cancer worry in cancer screening: a theoretical and empirical review of the literature. Psychooncology, 14: 517–534.
• Hereditary Cancer Syndromes and Risk Assessment, ACOG Committee Opinion. (2019). The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologist, 134(6): e143-149.
• Liu, Y., Cao, C. (2014). The relationship between family history of cancer, coping style and psychological distress. Pak J Med Sci, 30(3): 507-10.
• Mellon, S., Gold. R., Janisse, J., Cichon, M., Tainsky, M.A., Simon, M.S., et al. (2008). Risk perception and cancer worries in families at increased risk of familial breast/ovarian cancer. Psycho-Oncology, 17(8): 756-66.
• Orom, H., Coté, M.L., González, H.M., Underwood, W., Schwartz, A.G. (2008). Family history of cancer: is it an accurate indicator of cancer risk in the immigrant population? Cancer, 112(2): 399-406.
• Quillin, J.M., McClish, D.K., Jones, R.M., Burruss, K., Bodurtha, J.N. (2006). Spiritual coping, family history, and perceived risk for breast cancer--can we make sense of it?. J Genet Couns, 15(6): 449‐460.
• Silk, K.J., Bigsby, E., Volkman, J., Kingsley, C., Atkin, C., Ferrara, M., et al. (2006). Formative research on adolescent and adult perceptions of risk factors for breast cancer. Soc Sci Med, 63(12): 3124-3136.
• Spector, D., Mishel, M., Skinner, C.S., Deroo, L.A., Vanriper, M., Sandler, D.P. (2009). Breast cancer risk perception and lifestyle behaviors among White and Black women with a family history of the disease. Cancer Nurs, 32(4): 299‐308.
• Tellez, B.V. (2018). Religiosity / Spirituality and Cancer Risk Assessment for Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer: Latina and non-Latina women in New Mexico. Available from: https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1266&context=psy_etds
• Thull, D.L., Farengo-Clark, D. (2003). Genetics of breast cancer. In: Vogel VG, Bevers T, editors. Handbook of breast cancer risk assessment: Evidence-based guidelines for evaluation, prevention, counseling, and treatment. Boston: Jones and Bartlett, pp. 20–40.
• Tilburt, J.C., James, K.M., Sinicrope, P.S., Eton, D.T., Costello, B.A., Carey, J., et al. (2011). Factors influencing cancer risk perception in high risk populations: a systematic review. Hered Cancer Clin Pract. 9(1): 2.
• Vrinten, C., McGregor, L.M., Heinrich, M., von Wagner, C., Waller, J., Wardle, J., Black, G.B. (2017). What do people fear about cancer? A systematic review and meta-synthesis of cancer fears in the general population. Psychooncology, 26(8): 1070-1079.
• Wallace, E., Hinds, A., Campbell, H., Mackay, J., Cetnarskyj, R., Porteous, M.E. (2004). A cross-sectional survey to estimate the prevalence of family history of colorectal, breast and ovarian cancer in a Scottish general practice population. Br J Cancer, 91:1575-1579.
• Weinberger, M.I., Bruce, M.L., Roth, A.J., Breitbart, W., Nelson, C.J. (2011). Depression and barriers to mental health care in older cancer patients. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry, 26: 21-26.
• Yildirim, A., Simsek, H. (2006). Qualitative Research Methods in The Social Sciences. Ankara: Seçkin Publishing.