Lived Experiences of Women Receiving Medical Treatments for Breast Cancer in Ghana: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

Breast cancer diagnosis and its treatment present women with significant challenges which require adjustment in several domains to ensure good health outcomes. Any psychosocial interventions to address the challenges need to be informed by empirical evidence. However, there is dearth of empirical literature in this regard in the Ghanaian context. To address some of these gaps, we explored the lived experiences of women living with breast in Ghana to inform healthcare practice and breast cancer research. In-depth individual interviews were conducted among 11 breast cancer patients receiving medical treatment for breast cancer. The interpretative phenomenological approach was used in the data analysis. Findings from the study showed that participants’ lived experiences cluster around three major themes; burdens of breast cancer treatments, alternative/herbal medicine use, and breast cancer stigma. These findings underscore the need for a multidisciplinary treatment approach to achieve optimum health outcomes among these groups of women.