Mothering With Advanced Ovarian Cancer: "You've Got to Find That Little Thing That's Going to Make You Strong"

Mothers with ovarian cancer are at risk of experiencing additional demands given their substantial symptom burden and accelerated disease progression.

This study describes the experience of mothers with ovarian cancer, elucidating the interaction between their roles as mothers and patients with cancer.

We conducted a secondary analysis of focus groups with women with advanced ovarian cancer. Using descriptive coding, we developed a coding framework based on emerging findings and group consensus. We then identified higher-order themes capturing the breadth of experiences described by mothers with ovarian cancer.

Eight of the 13 participants discussed motherhood. The mean age of participants was 48.38 (SD, 7.17) years. All women were white (9/9), most had some college education (6/9), and the majority were married (5/9). Mean time since diagnosis was 7.43 (SD, 4.69) months; more than half of women (5/9) were currently receiving treatment. Themes and exemplar quotes reflected participants' evolving self-identities from healthy mother to cancer patient to woman mothering with cancer. Subthemes related to how motherhood was impacted by symptoms, demands of treatment, and the need to gain acceptance of living with cancer.

The experience of motherhood impacts how women experience cancer and how they evolve as survivors. Similarly, cancer influences mothering.

Healthcare providers should understand and address the needs of mothers with ovarian cancer. This study adds to the limited literature in this area and offers insight into the unique needs faced by women mothering while facing advanced cancer.