Making sense of turmoil: how women reconcile their emotional response to discovery of a potential breast cancer symptom

Abstract

Background: Breast cancer continues to be a major public health problem for women. Early detection and treatment are key to improved outcomes. Whereas most women seek help promptly, some postpone seeking help for self-discovered breast symptoms. Investigation of women’s help-seeking behavior and the associated influencing factors on self-discovery of a breast symptom were sought. Objectives: The aim of this article is to report the qualitative data from women who had self-discovered a breast symptom. Methods: Women (n = 167) with a self-discovered breast symptom (who were part of a large quantitative correlational study) commented in an open-ended question on their overall experience. Comments were analyzed using Discourse Analysis. Results: Four linked discourses were identified: (1) “being and remaining normal,” (2) “emotion,” (3) “becoming and being abnormal,” and (4) “rationality.” A sidelined discourse of emotion is drawn on to defer taking action based on rational knowledge. Conclusion: The tension between discourses “emotion” and “rationality” further informs our understanding of women’s help-seeking behavior following self-discovered symptoms. Findings provide a deeper understanding of the emotional aspects of women’s experience around symptom discovery. Implications: for Practice Findings will be of benefit to all healthcare professionals involved in assessment and screening of breast changes suggestive of breast cancer. They provide a novel insight into the meaning of breast cancer, its diagnosis and treatment, and how this impacts women’s emotions as they await consultation in a breast clinic.