“Your Ovaries Are Expired, Like an Old Lady” Metaphor Analysis of Saudi Arabian Women’s Descriptions of Breast Cancer: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

BackgroundAssessing and understanding the language that women use to express physical, emotional, and social concerns of breast cancer experiences can often be overlooked, even though there is evidence that effective communication between cancer patients and health care providers improves quality of life. This study aims to assess the use of metaphors in conceptualizing breast cancer experience lived by Saudi Arabian women.Materials and MethodsThis is an interpretative phenomenological qualitative study, a purposeful sample of 18 breast cancer patients at an oncology outpatient’s clinic in Saudi Arabia were invited to engage in face-to-face interviews. Data was analyzed using Metaphor Identification Procedure (MIP).ResultsFour themes were constructed: dark hidden force, battling imminent death, dreaming and awakening calls, and inner and outer transformation.ConclusionIdentifying metaphors may be beneficial toward improving communication between health care providers and breast cancer patients, who often experience difficulties expressing their needs.

Cancer experience in metaphors: patients, carers, professionals, students – a scoping review

“…Both transformation and education metaphors capture what some patients perceive as positive changes in their lives as a result of having cancer (e.g., 'a rebirth' 29 and 'The disease taught me to value life'). 31 In contrast, most of the remaining groups of metaphors in online supplemental table 3 place the patient in a disempowered position due to lack of control and associated negative emotions.…”

“…43 Metaphors involving lifts and fairground rides additionally capture extreme and uncontrollable changes in emotional states via rapid vertical movement, where 'up' is positive and 'down' is negative (e.g., 'My feelings were up and down like a lift.'). 29 Burden metaphors capture the difficulties and negative emotions associated with being ill via scenarios in which a heavy object makes movement difficult and pushes the person in a downward direction (e.g., 'To have a relapse during ongoing treatment is heavy'). 40 Finally, cleanliness metaphors use the opposition between clean and dirty to capture two different Systematic review aspects of the experience of illness: the contrast between having or not having cancerous cells in one's body ('They gave me great and incredible news … I am clean!')…”

How do Nigerian women construct the patterns of meaning of their identity and quality of life as breast cancer survivors? Illuminating Margaret Newman’s theory of health as expanding consciousness.

“…Their lives are marked by altered relationships, social suffering, and a failure to conduct societal and familial duties. [9] Many BrCa survivors may suffer nancial depletion, inability to carry out enterprises and practice other economic rights because of aches, chronic sickness, and the nancial consequences of medical expenses. Many breast cancer patients have experienced nancial di culties at one point or the other.…”

“…Many breast cancer patients have experienced nancial di culties at one point or the other. [9] People want to return to the life they had before being affected by cancer, but many people nd this experience di cult because of their limited life-power. [10] As survival rates have improved, the discourse surrounding the disease has become more complex.…”

Values and their relationship with emotion processing and physical and psychological symptoms among Jewish and Arab breast cancer survivors

“…Furthermore, BC, a disease predominantly affecting women, presents distinctive challenges in terms of their psychological well-being. Established gender roles and societal expectations often position women as primary caretakers, and as such, they are more susceptible to encountering stressful events that can have adverse consequences on their overall health and self-care practices ( Ayala et al, 2017 ; Almegewly and Alsoraihi, 2022 ). Furthermore, the experience of being a woman from a minority group in a predominantly Western-centric environment may introduce intricacies and nuanced challenges throughout their journey ( Culver et al, 2004 ; Abu Farha et al, 2017 ; Abdel-Salam et al, 2019 ; Awad et al, 2022 ).…”