Understanding the Experience of Dominican American Women Living With Late-Stage Breast Cancer: A Qualitative Study

Hispanic women between the ages of 35 and 44 years who are often diagnosed with larger and more invasive malignant breast tumors have poorer outcomes and a higher mortality rate compared with non-Hispanic White women. Yet, there is a paucity of qualitative research focused on the lived experience of specific ethnic subgroups. The goal of this descriptive phenomenological study was to gain in-depth insight regarding late-stage (Stage IV) breast cancer experience from Dominican American women. The results of this study provide preliminary information to interdisciplinary health care providers on the impact this illness has on the participants' lives and the role culture plays in helping these women cope. Implications for nursing research and practice are discussed.