Women's experiences of gestational breast cancer and their interactions with the healthcare system: A scoping review.
Sara Hurren, Karen Yates, Cate Nagle and 1 others
PMID 36446754WHAT IT FOUND
Women diagnosed with breast cancer during pregnancy described fear, conflicting advice, and strain between mother and patient roles.
Nurses can expect distress, practical worries, and need clear, coordinated information, not just treatment updates.
Key findings
01Women reported fear, anxiety, distress, and long-term effects on body image and guilt.
02Conflicting or inadequate information from multiple clinicians caused confusion and led some women to seek other opinions or abandon treatment.
03Breastfeeding and surgical decisions were emotionally significant, tied to identity and distress.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The review did not critically appraise the included studies, so the quality of the underlying evidence is not known. Most included work was qualitative or narrative, so it describes experiences rather than testing treatments. The authors note limited cultural and country representation, so findings may not transfer to all settings. The review includes small studies and reports, including case narratives, so patterns are not proof of effectiveness.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the themes as evidence that a communication or support intervention works. The review maps women's experiences and does not test treatments, and it did not appraise study quality.