Mapping the symptom management journey across the treatment cycle for breast cancer patients: A qualitative study

The aim of this study is to identify the multidimensional needs of breast cancer patients in symptom management using a patient journey map, providing an evidence-based foundation for optimizing nursing interventions. This descriptive qualitative study recruited 15 breast cancer patients from a tertiary hospital in Hefei for semi-structured interviews between January and August 2024. Data were analyzed using Colaizzi's 7-step method to construct a comprehensive journey map. The symptom management journey comprised 3 phases: screening and diagnosis, the perioperative period, and the ongoing treatment phase. Twenty-two themes were categorized into tasks, emotions, and pain points. Tasks included symptom detection and rehabilitation; emotions encompassed generalized anxiety and stigma; and pain points highlighted barriers like symptom misinterpretation and the risk of loss to follow-up. The map visually illustrated the dynamic evolution of patient needs. The findings highlight distinct stage-specific patterns in patients' needs and barriers during symptom management. The patient journey map serves as a structured framework for identifying key intervention nodes and supporting more targeted, stage-oriented nursing care.