Authors

Itziar Arteche Marín1, Celia Olivares Gallego1, Eva García Carpintero Blas2, Esperanza Vélez Vélez2

Position

¹Grado en Enfermería. Hospital Universitario Fundación Jiménez Díaz. Madrid (España)²Doctora en Enfermería. Profesora. Escuela de Enfermería Fundación Jiménez Díaz. Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (España)

Contact address

Celia Olivares Gallego. Fundación Jiménez Díaz. Avda. de los Reyes Católicos, 2. 28040 Madrid (España)

Contact email: celia.olivares99@gmail.com

Abstract

Objective: to explore the experiences and coping strategies of women undergoing prophylactic mastectomy when faced with the risk of hereditary breast cancer.

Method: a descriptive qualitative study with phenomenological approach conducted with convenience sampling and complemented by snowball sampling. In-depth semistructured interviews were conducted with women at risk of hereditary breast cancer who had undergone prophylactic mastectomy. There was data analysis according to the Miles and Huberman’s model.

Results: the study included nine women; 55.6% were between 40 and 50 years old and had been diagnosed before they were 40 and presented BRCA2 mutation. Women demanded higher knowledge about hereditary breast cancer and the surgery, particularly regarding estimated pain and interference in daily life activities. They also expressed concern and distress when receiving the news, because they had to undergo surgery while healthy. The most usual coping strategies were support by relatives and friends, sports, and nipple tattooing. They highlighted the importance of humanized care and active communication by specialists, as well as the importance of resources such as associations, image banks, or psychological therapy to enable coping.

Conclusions: prophylactic mastectomy generates a high impact on women. For an improvement in coping, it is necessary to provide humanized care, to convey truthful and quality information, to offer care based on their needs encouraging autonomy, and to provide emotional support.

Keywords:

Breast neoplasia; prophylactic mastectomy; BRCA1 genes; BRCA2 genes; qualitative research; decision making

Versión en Español

Título:

Afrontamiento de la mastectomía preventiva en mujeres con riesgo de cáncer de mama hereditario