| Breast cancer affects many women and their families worldwide (Jim, Richardson, Golden-Kreutz, & Anderson, Strategies used in coping with a cancer diagnosis predict meaning in life for survivors, 2006). An important process of breast cancer is aftercare. This study looked at the experiences of eight women with breast cancer who are in at least six months of remission and describe aftercare. The study used a generic qualitative approach and a thematic analysis. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with questions to address the area of aftercare. By thematically analyzing the data, common themes were derived from the interviews of each woman. The results indicated that the most common themes within each interview and across the participant's responses as a whole were the reliance on medical professionals, increased valuing of family, being supported by faith, personal responsibility for one's health, need for supportive services, and self-preservation. The conclusions of this study show a distinguished affirmation of several factors that influence aftercare. It is evident in this study that, regardless of a positive or negative experience with aftercare, these women reported gaining insight as to what needed to be done in their lives as a part of treatment in order to remain in remission. |
