Breast cancer survivorship and South Asian Women: understanding about the follow-up care plan and perspectives and preferences for information post treatment

[摘要] Background and Objectives As more treatment options become available and supportive care improves, a larger number of people will survive after treatment for breast cancer. In the present study, we explored the experiences and concerns of female South Asian (sa) breast cancer survivors (bcss) from various age groups after treatment to determine their understanding of follow-up care and to better understand their preferences for a survivorship care plan (scp).Methods Patients were identified by name recognition from BC Cancer Agency records for sa patients who were 3–60 months post treatment, had no evidence of recurrence, and had been discharged from the cancer centre to follow-up. Three focus groups and eleven face-toface semistructured interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, cross-checked for accuracy, and analyzed using thematic and content analysis. Participants were asked about their survivorship experiences and their preferences for the content and format of a scp.Results Fatigue, cognitive changes, fear of recurrence, and depression were the most universal effects after treatment. “Quiet acceptance” was the major theme unique to sa women, with a unique cross-influence between faith and acceptance. Emphasis on a generalized scp with individualized content echoed the wide variation in breast cancer impacts for sa women. Younger women preferred information on depression and peer support. Conclusions For sa bcss, many of the psychological and physical impacts of breast cancer diagnosis and treatment may be experienced in common with bcss of other ethnic backgrounds, but the present study also suggests the presence of unique cultural nuances such as spiritual and language specific support resource needs. The results provide direction for designing key content and format of scps, and information about elements of care that can be customized to individual patient needs.

[学科分类] 肿瘤学

[关键词] South Asian women;breast cancer survivors;survivorship care;social and cultural aspects of cancer;psychosocial and physical functioning;life stage