Psychosocial needs of young breast cancer survivors in Mexico City, Mexico

Abstract

ObjectiveYoung breast cancer survivors in Mexico face distinct psychosocial challenges that have not been characterized. This study aims to describe the psychosocial needs of young breast cancer survivors in Mexico at 5 or more years of survivorship, identifying areas of focus for early interventions.MethodsBreast cancer patients diagnosed at age 40 or prior with 5 or more years since diagnosis were invited to participate in one-on-one 30–60 minute semi-structured audio-recorded interviews at the Instituto Nacional de Cancerología in Mexico City. Transcripts were coded using thematic analysis with NVivo software.Results25 women participated. Five major phenomena emerged from analysis: (1) minimization of fertility concerns; (2) persistence of body image disturbance over time; (3) barriers to employment during survivorship; (4) impact on family relationships and social networks; & (5) unmet psychological care and informational needs.ConclusionsEarly interventions with a focus on fertility loss education, access to reconstructive surgery and body image support, guidance during return-to-work, assistance with childcare, integration of psychological care and the fulfillment of informational needs could ameliorate long-term psychological and social distress for young breast cancer survivors in Mexico.

Medical and information needs among young women with breast cancer in Mexico

“…Additionally, we found that some patients who did receive information felt it was insufficient, delivered in a non‐empathic way and hard to understand. These results align with previously reported findings from Mexican BC survivors (Hubbeling et al, ).…”

“…Furthermore, it has been reported that among BC survivors in Mexico, printed materials are the preferred information source and that most women express high interest in obtaining information online, despite having a low educational background and limited Internet access (Soto‐Perez‐de‐Celis, Perez‐Montessoro, Rojo‐Castillo, & Chavarri‐Guerra, ; Villarreal‐Garza, Platas, et al, ). Similarly, women in other studies have mentioned that some form of take‐home information, such as handouts or pamphlets, would have helped them recall, comprehend and/or expand upon the verbal information received during their medical appointments (Hubbeling et al, ; Thewes et al, ).…”

Depression and Health-Related Quality of Life Among Young Adult Breast Cancer Patients: The Mediating Role of Reproductive Concerns

“…Specific guidelines have been developed to improve fertility counseling, but some women still report limited conversations, which only focused on warnings not to become pregnant during chemotherapy, 4 and report a lack of information regarding the early menopause and infertility risk and options to assess and preserve their fertility. 5 Previous research has identified professional and organizational barriers to discussion of oncofertility care with cancer patients.…”

A História, a Dor e o Sofrimento de Mulheres diagnosticadas com Câncer: Uma Revisão Sistemática / The History, Pain and Suffering of Cancer diagnosed Women: A Systematic Review

“…As consequências emocionais reverberantes em mulheres acometidas por câncer são recorrentes e necessitam de assistência adequada visando sua reintegração familiar e social, assim como sua adaptação à uma nova realidade. Quanto às ocorrências de câncer de mama, à exemplo, mulheres submetidas à mastectomia radical apresentam maior vulnerabilidade ao desenvolvimento de repercussões biopsicossociais, além de uma maior tendência, como relatado por alguns autores (GASPARELO et al, 2010;INCA, 2017;HUBBELING et al, 2018;AVIS et al, 2018), de sofrerem consequências em sua vida conjugal (GASPARELO et al, 2010).…”

“…Nas mulheres, os cânceres de mama (29,5%), intestino (9,4%), colo do útero (8,1%), pulmão (6,2%) e tireoide (4,0%) figurarão entre os principais. As estimativas apresentadas para o Brasil refletem o perfil semelhante ao de países desenvolvidos, entretanto, ainda convive com altas taxas de cânceres, associados a infecções, que são característicos de países em desenvolvimento (INCA, 2017;MOHER et al, 2009;HUBBELING et al, 2018).…”