Browsing by Subject "patient advocacy"

Now showing 1 - 3 of 3
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    Exploring the experiences of breast cancer survivors
    (2012-11) UCT Knowledge Co-op
    This research was conducted to contribute to the knowledge base of the Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA). Research indicates that breast cancer is diagnosed in approximately one in twenty-nine women in South Africa. Women with lower income often experience lengthy waiting periods between diagnosis and treatment. Very little qualitative research has been conducted to explore lived experiences of patients with breast cancer. This project set out to explore women's experiences at various stages of treatment. Understanding better what it is like for them will help CANSA and others to develop important emotional and other support for women on this journey.
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    Open Access
    Exploring the experiences of breast cancer survivors at various stages of treatment: an analysis of the constructions of breast cancer and of femininity - summary report for CANSA
    (2013-03) Mulder, Anja
    This research was conducted towards an Honours degree in Gender Studies at the University of Cape Town, as well as to contribute to the knowledge base of the Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA). The focus of this research was to explore and document the experiences and needs of women with breast cancer, waiting for radiation treatment. By applying a gendered framework through which to view these experiences, emphasis was also placed on breast cancer survivors' conceptualisations of feminine identity and how their breast cancer and treatment trajectory impacted on these. Drawing on the narratives of women's lived experiences, it is my hope that information gained from this study will help CANSA to develop additional emotional support for women.
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    Women's lived experiences of the breast cancer trajectory: the waiting period for treatment and the impacts on feminine identity
    (2012-11) Mulder, Anja
    Breast cancer, according to research, is diagnosed in approximately one in every twenty-nine women in South Africa. Differences in gender, race and class produce disparities in health care, subjecting lower class women to lengthy waiting periods between diagnosis and treatment. Present research studies on breast cancer predominantly use quantitative methods. To understand women's lived experiences of the breast cancer trajectory this study explores experiences encountered during the waiting period, as well as the impacts of breast cancer and its treatment on feminine identity. For this a qualitative method was applied. Semistructured, in-depth interviews were conducted with five black and coloured breast cancer patients residing at two of CANSA's care homes. Participants varied in age and phases of treatment, were all married or widowed, had minor dependants, and had all travelled from distant and outlying areas. Based on a thematic analysis, six themes emerged from the data collected. These included: First experiences of cancer in the body; breast cancer and waiting periods from the patient's perspective; sources of support; meanings and perceptions of being a woman; conceptualising disease, and patients' needs. The analysis illustrates the importance of researching women's lived experiences and highlights that these need to be understood within a framework of socially constructed notions of gender, race and class in order to improve breast cancer treatment and psycho-social care.