Supporting women with advanced breast cancer: The impact of altered functional status on their social roles

Bai Qi Peggy Chen, Monica P. Parmar, Kimberley Gartshore

Abstract


Despite early detection of breast cancer and the progress of treatment modalities, metastasis-specific symptoms continue to impact women’s functional status and daily living. The aim of this study was to explore the experience of altered functional status and social roles of women with advanced breast cancer. Using qualitative descriptive methodology, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 women diagnosed with advanced breast cancer and altered functional status attending a tertiary care cancer centre. Results illustrated the adaptive experience of women living with their illness as they reshaped their social roles to fit with their altered functional status and advanced disease. These findings highlight the opportunity for supportive care nursing interventions to facilitate the behavioural and cognitive transitions that are experienced by women with advanced breast cancer and altered functional status. These results may have implications for women with other advanced chronic diseases, though more research is required.


Full Text:

PDF

References


Abraido-Lanza, A.F. (1997). Latinas with arthritis: effects of illness,

role identity, and competence on psychological well-being.

American Journal of Community Psychology, 25(5), 601–627.

Abraido-Lanza, A.F., & Revenson, T.A. (2006). Illness intrusion

and psychological adjustment to rheumatic diseases: A social

identity framework. Arthritis Care & Research, 55(2), 224–232.

doi:10.1002/art.21849

Ahles, T.A., Saykin, A.J., Furstenberg, C.T., Cole, B., Mott, L.A., Titus-

Ernstoff, L., & Silberfarb, P.M. (2005). Quality of life of longterm

survivors of breast cancer and lymphoma treated with

standard-dose chemotherapy or local therapy. Journal of Clinical

Oncology, 23(19), 4399–4405. doi:10.1200/jco.2005.03.343

Alavinia, S.M., & Burdorf, A. (2008). Unemployment and

retirement and ill-health: a cross-sectional analysis across

European countries. International Archives of Occupational

and Environmental Health, 82(1), 39–45. doi:10.1007/

s00420-008-0304-6

American Cancer Society. (2011, March 1, 2012.). Breast

cancer survival rates by stage. Retrieved from http://

www.cancer.org/Cancer/BreastCancer/DetailedGuide/

breast-cancer-survival-by-stage

Berg, B.L. (2001). Qualitative research methods for the social sciences.

Boston: Allyn and Bacon.

Bower, J.E., Ganz, P.A. , Desmond, K.A. , Bernaards, C., Rowland, J.H.,

Meyerowitz, B.E., & Belin, T.R. (2006). Fatigue in long-term breast

carcinoma survivors. Cancer, 106(4), 751–758.

Braithwaite, D., Hiatt, R.A., Kerlikowske, K., Moore, D.H., Melisko,

M., Esserman, L., & Tammemagi, M. (2010). Long-term prognostic

role of functional limitations among women with breast cancer.

Journal of the National Cancer Institute, 102(19), 1468–1477.

doi:10.1093/jnci/djq344

Broeckel, J.A., Jacobsen, P.B., Balducci, L., Horton, J., & Lyman, G.H.

(2000). Quality of life after adjuvant chemotherapy for breast

cancer. Breast Cancer Research and Treatment, 62(2), 141–150.

Burke, P.J., & Tully, J.C. (1977). The Measurement of Role Identity.

Social Forces, 55(4), 881–897.

Burnard, P. (1991). A method of analysing interview transcripts in

qualitative research. Nurse Education Today, 11(6), 461–466.

Canadian Cancer Society. (2013). Canadian Cancer Statistics 2013.

Toronto, ON: Canadian Cancer Society.

Cimprich, B., Ronis, D.L., & Martinez-Ramos, G. (2002). Age at

diagnosis and quality of life in breast cancer survivors. Cancer

Practice, 10(2), 85–93.

Coty, M.B., & Wallston, K.A. (2008). Roles and well-being

among healthy women and women with rheumatoid

arthritis. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 63(2), 189–198.

doi:10.1111/j.1365-2648.2008.04661.x

Dorval, M., Maunsell, E., Deschenes, L., Brisson, J., & Masse, B. (1998).

Long-term quality of life after breast cancer: Comparison of

-year survivors with population controls. Journal of Clinical

Oncology, 16(2), 487–494.

Helgeson, V.S., & Tomich, P.L. (2005). Surviving cancer: A

comparison of 5-year disease-free breast cancer survivors with

healthy women. Psycho-Oncology, 14(4), 307–317. doi:10.1002/

pon.848

Hurria, A., Hurria, A., Zuckerman, E., Panageas, K.S., Fornier, M.,

D’Andrea, G., & Hudis, C. (2006). A prospective, longitudinal

study of the functional status and quality of life of older patients

with breast cancer receiving adjuvant chemotherapy. Journal of

the American Geriatrics Society, 54(7), 1119–1124.

Kagawa-Singer, M. (1993). Redefining health: Living with

cancer. Social Science & Medicine, 37(3), 295–304.

doi:10.1016/0277-9536(93)90261-2

Lincoln, Y.S., & Guba, E.G. (1985). Naturalistic inquiry. Newbury Park,

CA: Sage.

Luoma, M.L., & Hakamies-Blomqvist, L. (2004). The meaning of

quality of life in patients being treated for advanced breast

cancer: A qualitative study. Psycho-Oncology, 13(10), 729–739.

Mead, G.H. (1967). Mind, self, and society: From the standpoint of a

social behaviorist: University of Chicago Press.

Montazeri, A., Vahdaninia, M., Harirchi, I., Ebrahimi, M., Khaleghi, F.,

& Jarvandi, S. (2008). Quality of life in patients with breast cancer

before and after diagnosis: an eighteen months follow-up study.

BMC Cancer, 8, 330. doi:10.1186/1471-2407-8-330

Morse, J.M., & Field, P.A. (1995). Principles of data collection.

Qualitative data analysis: an expanded sourcebook (2nd ed.).

Thousand Oaks: Sage.

National Cancer Institute. (2011a). Breast cancer treatment.

Retrieved from http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/

treatment/breast/Patient/page6 - Section_265

National Cancer Institute. (2011b). SEER Cancer Statistics Review,

-2008. Bethesda, MD: National Cancer Institute.

Oken, M.M., Creech, R.H., Torney, D.C., Horton, J., Davis, T.E.,

McFadden, E.T. & Carbone, P.P. (1982). Toxicity and response

criteria of the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group. American

Journal of Clinical Oncology, 5(6), 649–655.

Patrick, D.L., & Chiang, Y.P. (2000). Measurement of health outcomes

in treatment effectiveness evaluations: Conceptual and

methodological challenges. Medical Care, 38(9), II14–II25.

Petrut, B., Trinkaus, M., Simmons, C., & Clemons, M. (2008). A primer

of bone metastases management in breast cancer patients.

Current Oncology (Toronto, Ont.), 15 (Suppl. 1).

Polit, D.F., & Beck, C.T. (2008). Nursing research: Generating and

assessing evidence for nursing practice. Philadelphia: Wolters

Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.

Rolland, J.S. (1987). Chronic illness and the life cycle: A conceptual

framework. Family Process, 26(2), 203–221.

Rosedale, M. (2009). Survivor loneliness of women following breast

cancer. Oncology Nursing Forum, 36(2), 175–183. doi:10.1188/09.

onf.175-183

Sandelowski, M. (1995). Qualitative analysis: What it is and

how to begin. Research in Nursing & Health, 18(4), 371–375.

doi:10.1002/nur.4770180411

Sandelowski, M. (2000). Whatever happened to qualitative

description? Research in Nursing & Health, 23(4), 334–340.

Tonkin, K., Califaretti, N., Chia, S., Clemons, M., Rayson, D., Sehdev,

S., & Verma, S. (2006). Breast cancer & you: A guide for women

living with breast cancer (4th ed.). Amgen Canada Inc.

Tuckett, A.G. (2004). Qualitative research sampling: The very real

complexities. Nursing Research, 12(1), 47–61.


Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


Bookmark and Share