Problem-solving strategies of women undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer

Many women undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer experience side effects that make it difficult to perform daily occupations.

To summarize the types of challenges, goals, and adaptive strategies identified by women with stage 1-3 breast cancer participating in a pilot study of Problem-solving Treatment-Occupational Therapy (PST-OT).

Content analysis of 80 PST-OT sessions.

Women addressed 11 types of challenging activities, with exercise and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) being the most common. Most women set a goal to adapt a current activity, but also set goals to find a new activity, plan the steps of a current activity, or gather information about a possible activity change in the future. The adaptive strategies generated by the women were grouped into five types. Most often they found ways to add a new step to an activity, but they also brainstormed about when, how, where, and with whom they could do activities.

The women were usually trying to adapt familiar activities but also were looking for ways to include new, healthy occupations into their routines.