Women Treated for Breast Cancer Experiences of Chemotherapy-Induced Pain Memories, Any Present Pain, and Future ReflectionsShow others and affiliations
2016 (English)In: Cancer Nursing, ISSN 0162-220X, E-ISSN 1538-9804, Vol. 39, no 6, p. 464-472Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]
Background: Breast cancer survivors make up a growing population facing treatment that poses long-standing adverse effects including chemotherapy-related body function changes and/or pain. There is limited knowledge of patients' lived experiences of chemotherapy-induced pain (CHIP). Objective: The aim of this study was to explore CHIP and any long-standing pain experiences in the lifeworld of breast cancer survivors. Methods: Fifteen women participated in a follow-up interview a year after having experienced CHIP. They were interviewed from a lifeworld perspective; the interviews were analyzed through guided phenomenology reflection. Results: A past perspective: CHIP is often described in metaphors, leads to changes in a patient's lifeworld, and impacts lived time. The women become entirely dependent on others but at the same time feel isolated and alone. Existential pain was experienced as increased vulnerability. Present perspective: Pain engages same parts of the body, but at a lower intensity than during CHIP. The pain creates time awareness. Expected normality in relationships/daily life has not yet been achieved, and a painful existence emerges in-between health and illness. Future perspective: There are expectations of pain continuing, and there is insecurity regarding whom to turn to in such cases. A painful awareness emerges about one's own and others' fragile existence. Conclusions: Experiencing CHIP can impact the lifeworld of women with a history of breast cancer. After CHIP, there are continued experiences of pain that trigger insecurity about whether one is healthy. Implications for Practice: Cancer survivors would likely benefit from communication and information about and evaluation of CHIP.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
2016. Vol. 39, no 6, p. 464-472
Keywords [en]
Adjuvant chemotherapy, Breast cancer survivor, Pain experiences
National Category
Health Sciences
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:mdh:diva-34020DOI: 10.1097/NCC.0000000000000322ISI: 000387114100012PubMedID: 26632880Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-84949464368OAI: oai:DiVA.org:mdh-34020DiVA, id: diva2:1051550
2016-12-022016-12-022018-02-21Bibliographically approved