Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention

Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention (아시아태평양암예방학회)
권호 표지
DOI QR코드

DOI QR Code

Self-Disclosure of Breast Cancer Diagnosis by Iranian Women to Friends and Colleagues

  • Najmabadi, Khadijeh Mirzaii (Department of Midwifery, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences (MUMS)) ;
  • Azarkish, Fatemeh (Reproductive Health, Student Research Committee School of Nursing and Midwifery, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences (MUMS)) ;
  • Latifnejadroudsari, Robab (Department of Midwifery, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences (MUMS)) ;
  • Shandiz, Fatemeh Homaei (Solid Tumor Treatment Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences (MUMS)) ;
  • Aledavood, Seyed Amir (Solid Tumor Treatment Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences (MUMS)) ;
  • Kermani, Ali Taghizadeh (Solid Tumor Treatment Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences (MUMS)) ;
  • Esmaily, Habib Ollah (Department of Biostatistics, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences (MUMS))
  • Published : 2014.03.30
Download PDF
⟨ Previous Next ⟩

Abstract

Background: Breast cancer (BC) is the most common form of cancer in Iranian women, and it remains a major health problem. An increasing number of young women are being diagnosed with BC, and therefore, there is an increasing likelihood that more women will survive breast cancer for many years. Many opine that self-disclosure of BC diagnosis is important because talking about cancer helps people to make sense of their experiences; in fact, self-disclosure appears to play an important role in many health outcomes. However, this has not yet been studied in BC patients in Iran. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the status of self-disclosure of BC diagnosis by Iranian women to friends and colleagues. Materials and Methods: All BC records for 2001-2011 of employed women were studied at five hospitals in Mashhad. Data about the self-disclosure of BC diagnosis were gathered through telephone interviews, and the participants filled out a questionnaire about their status of self-disclosure of BC diagnosis to various groups of people. Results: The mean age of employed women at the time of diagnosis was $44.3{\pm}6.7$ years. Over 60% self-disclosed to work colleagues and over 90% to bosses/managers. Seventy per cent reported that they had support from their family and husband's family, while 95% reported that they had support from parents, siblings, children and friends. Conclusions: Most employed women self-disclosed freely to family, friends, colleagues and bosses/managers. Apparently, self-disclosure of breast cancer diagnosis may have negative effects at work. About half of patients reported that they had support from family, managers and colleagues; however, for nearly 28% of employed women, disclosure had less positive effects. In particular, it altered their perception of others, produced difficulties with work and family and diminished closeness with the people who were told. However, the stigma of BC is far less than it once was.

Keywords

References

  1. Badr H, Carmack CL, Kashy DA, et al (2010). Dyadic coping in metastatic breast cancer. Health Psychology, 29, 169. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0018165
  2. Dagan M, Sanderman R, Hoff CH, et al (2013). The interplay between partners' responsiveness and patients' need for emotional expression in couples coping with cancer. J Behav Med, [Epub ahead of print].
  3. El-Sayed NO, Ali ZH (2009). Effect of Counseling Intervention Post Mastectomy for Women Undergoing Adjuvant Chemotherapy on their Quality of Life.
  4. Else-Quest NM, LoConte NK, Schiller JH, et al (2009). Perceived stigma, self-blame, and adjustment among lung, breast and prostate cancer patients. Psychology Health, 24, 49-64. https://doi.org/10.1080/08870440801930312
  5. Frazier LM, Miller VA, Horbelt DV, et al (2009). Employment and quality of survivorship among women with cancer: domains not captured by quality of life instruments. Cancer Control J Moffitt Cancer Center, 16, 57.
  6. Gray RE, Fitch M, Phillips C, et al (2000). To tell or not to tell: patterns of disclosure among men with prostate cancer. Psychooncology, 9, 273-82. https://doi.org/10.1002/1099-1611(200007/08)9:4<273::AID-PON463>3.0.CO;2-F
  7. Harirchi I, Kolahdoozan S, Karbakhsh M, et al (2011). Twenty years of breast cancer in Iran: downstaging without a formal screening program. Ann Oncol, 22, 93-7. https://doi.org/10.1093/annonc/mdq303
  8. Hasson-Ohayon I, Goldzweig G, Raun M, et al (2010). Women with advanced breast cancer and their spouses: diversity of support and psychological distress. Psychooncology, 19, 1195-204. https://doi.org/10.1002/pon.1678
  9. Jemal A, Bray F, Center MM, et al (2011). Global cancer statistics. CA Cancer J Clin, 61, 69-90. https://doi.org/10.3322/caac.20107
  10. Johnsson A, Fornander T, Rutqvist LE, et al (2009). Predictors of return to work ten months after primary breast cancer surgery. Acta Oncol, 48, 93-8. https://doi.org/10.1080/02841860802477899
  11. Kolahdoozan S, Sadjadi A, Radmard AR, Khademi H (2010). Five common cancers in Iran. Arch Iran Med, 13, 143-6.
  12. McDowell ME, Occhipinti S, Ferguson M, et al (2010). Predictors of change in unmet supportive care needs in cancer. Psychooncology, 19, 508-16. https://doi.org/10.1002/pon.1604
  13. McLeod DL, Tapp DM, Moules NJ, et al (2010). Knowing the family: interpretations of family nursing in oncology and palliative care. Eur J Oncol Nurs, 14, 93-100. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejon.2009.09.006
  14. Mehnert A (2011). Employment and work-related issues in cancer survivors. Crit Rev Oncol Hematol, 77, 109-30. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.critrevonc.2010.01.004
  15. Northfield S, Nebauer M (2010). The caregiving journey for family members of relatives with cancer. Clin J Oncol Nurs, 14, 567-77. https://doi.org/10.1188/10.CJON.567-577
  16. Park CL (2010). Making sense of the meaning literature: an integrative review of meaning making and its effects on adjustment to stressful life events. Psychol Bull, 136, 257. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0018301
  17. Petersson, LM, Wennman-Larsen A, Nilsson M, et al (2011). Work situation and sickness absence in the initial period after breast cancer surgery. Acta Oncol, 50, 282-8. https://doi.org/10.3109/0284186X.2010.533191
  18. Reid-Arndt SA, Yee A, Perry MC, et al (2009). Cognitive and psychological factors associated with early posttreatment functional outcomes in breast cancer survivors. J Psychosoc Oncol, 27, 415-34. https://doi.org/10.1080/07347330903183117
  19. Robinson JD, Tian Y (2009). Cancer patients and the provision of informational social support. Health Commun, 24, 381-90. https://doi.org/10.1080/10410230903023261
  20. Stewart DE, Cheung AM, Duff S, et al (2001). Long-term breast cancer survivors: confidentiality, disclosure, effects on work and insurance. Psychooncology, 10, 259-63. https://doi.org/10.1002/pon.499
  21. Tamminga SJ, De Boer AG, Verbeek JH, et al (2012). Breast cancer survivors' views of factors that influence the returnto- work process-a qualitative study. Scand J Work Environ Health, 38, 144-54. https://doi.org/10.5271/sjweh.3199
  22. Tiedtke C, de Rijk A, Dierckx de CB, et al (2010). Experiences and concerns about 'returning to work'for women breast cancer survivors: a literature review. Psychooncology, 19, 677-83.
  23. Van Der Velden M, El Emam K (2013). Not all my friends need to know: a qualitative study of teenage patients, privacy, and social media. J Am Med Inform Assoc, 20, 16-24. https://doi.org/10.1136/amiajnl-2012-000949
  24. Yoo GJ, Aviv C, Levine EG, et al (2010). Emotion work: disclosing cancer. Support Care Cancer, 18, 205-15. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-009-0646-y

Cited by

  1. Iranian Cancer Patient Perceptions of Prognosis and the Relationship to Hope vol.15, pp.15, 2014, https://doi.org/10.7314/APJCP.2014.15.15.6205
  2. Advances in Optimal Detection of Cancer by Image Processing; Experience with Lung and Breast Cancers vol.16, pp.14, 2015, https://doi.org/10.7314/APJCP.2015.16.14.5613
  3. The effects of individual- and network-level factors on discussion of cancer experiences: Survivors of childhood cancer in Korea pp.1540-7586, 2018, https://doi.org/10.1080/07347332.2017.1379582