Rebuilding life after breast cancer treatment among Korean breast cancer survivors: an integrative review.
Rina Kim, So-Young Choi
PMID 42419903WHAT IT FOUND
Korean breast cancer survivors reported persistent pain, sleep disturbance, decreased muscle strength, reduced exercise tolerance and lymphedema after treatment, plus body-image distress, fear of recurrence and return-to-work struggles.
Exercise, diet, self-management and surveillance support are framed as possible nursing targets, not proven effects.
Key findings
01The review synthesised posttreatment experiences into four linked domains: survivorship context, physical and functional constraints, psychological adjustment and role reintegration, and modifiable intervention targets.
02Physical and functional constraints after treatment included pain, sleep disturbance, decreased muscle strength, reduced exercise tolerance and lymphatic dysfunction, with restrictions in domestic, occupational and leisure activities.
03Psychological adjustment and role reintegration included body-image distress, fear of cancer recurrence, age-related adjustment differences, return to work and forming a new normal.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
Most included studies were cross-sectional, so the review cannot show temporal ordering or causal links among physical constraints, psychological adjustment and role reintegration. Survivorship definitions and measurement time points varied across studies, limiting direct comparison. Few studies directly measured sociocultural context, so the findings cannot be treated as unique to Korean survivors. Only 12 publications were included, and dissertations and nonempirical literature were allowed, limiting the breadth of the evidence. Publication bias cannot be excluded, and some studies had limited reporting.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflict of interest, and the study received no funding.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this review as evidence that exercise, diet, self-management or surveillance support rebuild posttreatment life. The included evidence was mainly observational and small-scale, and the review frames these as possible targets, not tested outcomes.