The emotional journey of women experiencing a breast abnormality

Using grounded theory, a multidisciplinary study team compared the narratives of 30 women who had recently experienced a breast cancer scare. Even though 10 women received a benign diagnosis, all women reported a difficult time prediagnosis, characterized by an array of emotions and contemplation of the meaning of life. Diagnosis separated the two groups with emotional relief dominant for the benign group and intensification of emotions for the cancer group. For those diagnosed with cancer, three factors contributed to arriving at a point of acceptance about the diagnosis and treatment: (a) sustained coping mechanisms; (b) a belief system that shifted the meaning of the cancer experience; and (c) the ability to manage non-cancer-related stressful events. Implications include the need for tailored biopsychosocial treatments that focus on reducing stress, enhancing support systems, reframing beliefs about the illness, and providing the opportunity for the women to talk about their experiences.