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The narrow treatment road to survival: Everyday life perspectives of women with breast cancer from Iraq and the former Yugoslavia undergoing radiation therapy in Sweden
Author(s) -
HolstHansson A.,
Idvall E.,
Bolmsjö I.,
Wennick A.
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
european journal of cancer care
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.849
H-Index - 67
eISSN - 1365-2354
pISSN - 0961-5423
DOI - 10.1111/ecc.12825
Subject(s) - medicine , everyday life , qualitative research , radiation therapy , breast cancer , immigration , focus group , cancer , surgery , social science , archaeology , marketing , sociology , political science , law , business , history
This study aimed at exploring how women from Iraq and the former Yugoslavia, diagnosed with breast cancer and living in Sweden, experience their everyday life during radiation therapy. A qualitative research design was used comprising interviews with ten women, five originating from Iraq and five from the former Yugoslavia. Striving to survive, the women experienced their everyday life during radiation therapy as extremely challenging. This experience can be placed into three categories: strategies for survival, keeping up appearances and staying in control. Because of these specific challenges, immigrant women may need additional information and guidance in conjunction with the diagnosis, which may enable them to identify possible sources of support from those closest to them. Also, greater attention should focus on acknowledging the woman behind the diagnosis, regardless of her origin, to develop an individualised support programme to help her cope with everyday life during radiation therapy.