Symptom Experience and Management Needs of Breast Cancer Patients Undergoing Endocrine Therapy: A Qualitative Study

Endocrine therapy is essential for breast cancer management but often causes long-term side effects that impair quality of life. Understanding patients' lived experiences and unmet needs is critical for optimizing supportive care.

To explore the symptom experiences, coping strategies, management challenges, and support needs of breast cancer patients undergoing endocrine therapy.

A descriptive qualitative design was conducted in this study from December 2024 to May 2025. A purposeful sampling with the maximum variation strategy was adopted to select patients undergoing endocrine therapy for breast cancer. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to explore their symptom experiences, self-management practices and support needs. The data were analyzed using NVivo 12.0 through Braun and Clark's thematic analysis, and rigor was ensured through triangulation, participant validation, and audit trails.

A total of 20 female breast cancer patients receiving ≥6 months of endocrine therapy participated in this study. These data reveal four main themes and 13 sub-themes. Four themes emerged: (1) Substantial multidimensional disease burden, revealing synergistic physical symptoms and psychological distress driving social withdrawal; (2) Individual variations in symptom coping styles, categorizing strategies as adaptive (proactive lifestyle adjustments), defensive (avoidance), or creative (self-devised techniques); (3) Diverse symptom management dilemmas, including knowledge gaps, limited self-advocacy, inadequate social support, and diminished motivation; and (4) Personalized symptom management needs, emphasizing demands for tailored information, lifestyle guidance, psychological support, and digital health tools.

Patients endure significant multidimensional symptoms exacerbated by heterogeneous coping capabilities and systemic barriers. Findings underscore an urgent need for patient-centered interventions addressing education, psychological care, and digital solutions to optimize long-term endocrine therapy management.