Cancer during pregnancy: from the diagnosis to the repercussions on the family experience of maternity

Abstract

Objective: To investigate how the diagnosis of cancer during pregnancy occurred and assess its repercussions on the family experience of maternity. Method: Qualitative research, based on Symbolic Interactionism and conducted according to the Grounded Theory method. Twelve women diagnosed with cancer during pregnancy and 19 of their family members participated in the study. Data was collected from March 2018 to March 2019, using an identification form and an in-depth interview. The analysis followed the stages of open substantive coding. Results: Data were organized into two categories of analysis: Being surprised by the discovery of cancer during pregnancy, which reveals the course of experiencing pregnancy and being diagnosed with cancer, Suffering from the repercussions of cancer on pregnancy and birth, which describes the repercussions of illness in the experience of pregnancy. Conclusion: Cancer during pregnancy was diagnosed in young women based on signs and symptoms that were confused with those of pregnancy and postpartum. The illness brought anxiety, impotence, fear and affected the experience of maternity, as it prevented women from having their pregnancy as planned and required routines different from those of low-risk pregnancies.

What do we know about the psychosocial issues associated with cancer during pregnancy? A scoping review and gap analysis

“…36 Three qualitative studies specifically reported being informed by a broad theoretical approach such as interpretative feminism, 29 interpretative phenomenological analysis 33 and symbolic interactionism. 26 …”

“… 27 32 The remaining studies were undertaken in the UK, 29 Belgium and the Netherlands, 11 and Brazil. 26 Studies were published over a 25-year period, with six in the past 2 years ( table 1 ). Studies focused on the subjective experiences and perceptions of women, 26 28–34 their main concerns during treatment and coping strategies, 11 36 the perceived consequences of their cancer diagnosis, care and decision-making on their own psychosocial well-being and that of their family, 26 or the demographic and clinical correlates related to higher distress.…”

“…Only two qualitative studies described women’s experiences leading up to the time of diagnosis; these indicated that pregnancy (and recent motherhood) may impact symptom appraisal and lead to possible delays in help seeking. 26 33 In Facchin et al ’s 33 study, one participant described how she had felt that there was something strange in her breast, people reassured her it was due to pregnancy-related changes, but she was not convinced and wanted to get it checked. She described being unaccompanied at the time of diagnosis and how a lack of information immediately after diagnosis was a source of confusion.…”

Women's experiences of gestational breast cancer and their interactions with the healthcare system: A scoping review

“…Therapeutic termination of pregnancy might be advised (Gomes et al, 2021;Kirkman et al, 2017). However, one woman stated, "she thinks her husband 'saw the here and now' I was so emotionally overwhelmed at the time."…”

“…Accurate information is imperative in assisting women's decisionmaking (Gomes et al, 2021;Hammarberg et al, 2018;Henry et al, 2012;Ives et al, 2016;Zanetti-Dällenbach et al, 2006).…”