| The purpose of this qualitative, descriptive study was to illuminate how men cope with breast cancer following diagnosis and treatment. This research explored the experiences and personal stories of men diagnosed with breast cancer. Participants were recruited through Y-ME National Breast Cancer Organization and the American Cancer Society.; Feminist and grounded theory perspectives guided the study in capturing the description of men's breast cancer experiences from their own perspective. The purpose was twofold: to investigate how men perceive and attribute meaning to the experience of breast cancer and to learn whether contextual factors (e.g., age, relationship status, social support, employment status, spirituality, and disease stage) help shape responses to treatment and recovery.; Interviews were conducted in person or by telephone. Thirteen men ranging in age from 43 to 80 years and in survival time from 2 to 20 years participated in the study. They were well educated, represented three religions, and included 11 Whites and 2 African Americans. Most were married and half were working at least part time. Each man had undergone a mastectomy and one had had reconstruction. All were covered by insurance and none had recurrent disease.; Four major dimensions defined the men's breast cancer experiences. The finding of greatest importance in the first dimension, physical, concerned the lack of information communicated and available to the men. Among the most prominent findings in the second dimension, psychological, was fear of recurrence. All the men indicated that support from family and loved ones was critical in helping them through their treatment, remaining the most meaningful finding in the third dimension, social. Major findings of the fourth dimension, existential, included a deepening of spirituality and developing a sense of mission.; Most of the findings in this research are consistent with previous research with women. Special contributions are the unique conceptualization of male breast cancer experiences, the identification of some aspects particular to men, and the rich description of the experiences. The findings offer researchers, public health workers, and clinicians deeper understanding of male breast cancer---its diagnosis, treatment, and survival. |
