Breast cancer: of the discovery to the recurrence of the illness

Abstract

This in an exploratory and descriptive study, which aimed to understand the feelings of the mastectomized woman due to the possibility of breast cancer recurrence since the diagnosis, it was developed with 15 mastectomized women with the average of age between 30 and 75 years, participants of GEPAM (Self-Help, Teaching, Research and Attendance to the mastectomized woman Group) from the Department of Nursing of UFC. The data were collected in 2004, between August and September, with a semi-structured interview. We identified the following categories: the discovery of cancer and the accomplishment of the mastectomy; the cure expectation before the cancer; living with the fear of the recurrence and the significance of the group of self-help in their lives. We verified that the breast cancer diagnosis presents itself as something unreal in their lives, consisting of a lethal and frightening disease, bringing surprise, fear and despair. The self-help group appears as support, where those women interact, change and share experiences, becoming more conscious, overcoming together the fear of the recurrence of breast cancer.