How do women with secondary breast cancer experience telling their adolescent children about their diagnosis?

• Published in: Journal of health psychology Vol. 23; no. 9; pp. 1223 - 1233
• Main Authors: Lalayiannis, Leonie, Asbury, Nicky, Dyson, Graham, Walshe, Amanda
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London, England SAGE Publications 01-08-2018; SAGE PUBLICATIONS, INC
• Subjects: Breast cancer; Children; Health risk assessment; Independent living; Interpretative phenomenological analysis; Medical diagnosis; Women; breast cancer; telling children; cancer; children; oncology
• ISSN: 1359-1053; 1461-7277
• DOI: 10.1177/1359105316648484

This study investigated how women with secondary breast cancer experience telling their adolescent children. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with women who had been diagnosed with secondary breast cancer at least 1 year prior to the interview. Seven women, who had at least one child between 12 and 19 years old living at home at the time of diagnosis, were interviewed. The interviews were analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis for an in-depth understanding of women’s experiences. Women found that it was easier to tell their children of their secondary breast cancer diagnosis compared to their primary cancer. However, they talked about the impact the diagnosis had on their family.