Men's Lived Experiences of Breast Cancer and Changes in Occupation.
Ann Marie Potter, Breanne Bentz, Lindsay Crue and 5 others
PMID 36815121WHAT IT FOUND
Men with breast cancer described feeling marginalized by healthcare environments designed for women, experiencing stigma around masculinity, and losing engagement in daily occupations due to treatment side effects.
Many found new meaning and identity through advocacy, transforming their diagnosis into a platform for raising awareness and supporting other men.
Key findings
01Participants reported a decrease in engagement in occupations such as work, hobbies, and household tasks due to side effects like fatigue, memory problems, and pain.
02Men described feeling stigmatized and marginalized by healthcare systems and social environments that treat breast cancer exclusively as a female disease, impacting their body image and willingness to disclose their diagnosis.
03Every participant became involved in advocacy, finding meaning in new occupations centered on raising awareness and supporting other men with breast cancer.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
Convenience and snowball sampling through support groups means the participants were not representative of all men with breast cancer. Every participant was involved in advocacy, creating a selection bias that excludes the experiences of men who do not engage in support or advocacy. Participants were at various stages of cancer survivorship, making it difficult to separate experiences specific to different treatment phases. The study was conducted by female researchers, which may have influenced the interaction and disclosure of gender-sensitive issues.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that all men with breast cancer will find meaning in advocacy or that these findings apply to men who do not engage with support groups. The sample was entirely drawn from advocacy-involved individuals, so the experience of the silent or isolated majority is not represented.