Stakeholders' experiences and perceptions of male breast cancer:A qualitative evidence synthesis

The experiences, physical and mental health and needs of women with breast cancer have been studied in some detail, but there is a lack of discussion of the experiences of stakeholder groups such as men with breast cancer, partners and carers and healthcare professionals. The aim of this study was to explore and understand the experiences and perceptions of male breast cancer stakeholders from diagnosis through to survivorship.

We conducted a thematic review of qualitative studies included in a large published scoping review on male breast cancer (reported under the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses for Scoping Reviews extension). To be included in a qualitative evidence review, studies had to use qualitative methods for data collection and analysis to capture the perspectives of men with breast cancer, partners or caregivers, and healthcare workers. Key characteristics and findings were extracted and a conceptual coding framework was summarized using thematic analysis.

Out of a total of 310 studies in the research literature (published research articles and gray literature), 15 studies met the inclusion criteria. These studies reported on the experiences of men with breast cancer, partners or caregivers, and healthcare workers, with participant numbers ranging from 2 to 31. A total of 17 descriptive themes (study outcomes) were identified. From these, four high-level analytic themes emerged: (1) Predicament; (2) Emotion; (3) Support; (4) Coping.

The gender stigma that exists at the patient, healthcare system, and family-society levels largely influences the experiences of the male breast cancer stakeholder population. To address gender inequalities in breast cancer care, healthcare organizations and society at large should remain equally attentive to the needs of male and female breast cancer patients. These needs include reducing healthcare and social stigma, providing gender-specific information and emotional support, and access to support groups.