A qualitative study on the experience of empowerment from the perspectives of breast cancer survivors.
Zebing Luo, Chujun Chen, Wanzhu Xu and 2 others
PMID 34313022WHAT IT FOUND
After treatment, breast cancer survivors described empowerment through self-care, support from spouses and friends, and some returned to work.
They reported managing lymphedema and fatigue by exercising, protecting the arm, and relying on relationships.
Key findings
01Survivors described empowerment after treatment as self-empowerment, family empowerment, and social empowerment.
02Survivors reported more lymphedema and fatigue than pain, and some used elastic sleeves and arm elevation for relief.
03Spouse support and friend support were described as important parts of empowerment.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
Only 11 women from one oncology hospital in China were studied, so the themes may not apply to other settings or countries. Participants had completed treatment and no recurrence or metastasis, so it does not describe survivors with active recurrence or severe psychiatric or cognitive impairment. The study reports experiences, not whether any empowerment care improves outcomes.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read these themes as proof that empowerment care improves survivorship outcomes. The study describes experiences from 11 women in one Chinese hospital and tested no intervention.