Abstract
Background: Women with breast cancer face invasive treatments that have physical, psychological, and social long-term consequences. Their experience is sometimes conceptualized through the concepts of biographical disruption, liminality, and posttraumatic growth. Unlike other countries, there is no study on post-treatment women’s experiences in Switzerland. This article seeks to address this gap.
Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 11 Swiss women (m = 47.55, sd = 3.08 years old) who underwent a surgery for a non-metastatic breast cancer 5.67 to 7.92 years earlier. The audio recordings were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using an inductive thematic analysis framework.
Results: We identified four themes relating to (1) limitations in physical activities, changes in body image, and reduced sexual activities; (2) social challenges and isolation; (3) identity and attitudes changes; and (4) fear of cancer recurrence impacting future perception.
Conclusion: Swiss women experience mostly similar psychological, physical, and social difficulties as in other studies. We categorized the experience of participants through three profiles: negative, those struggling with difficulties; fluctuating, representing those succeeding to move on from cancer but still enduring intermittent challenges; and positive, which describes those succeeding in feeling better and who are socially integrated. These profiles seem to be supported by the concepts of biographical disruption, liminality and posttraumatic growth that depicted similar experience. The profile usage might help to identify women needing support and design specific interventions focusing on cognitive reappraisal, physical acceptation and social contact. A longitudinal study could confirm these profiles and explore how they evolve with time.