Learning Objective #1: Identify women at greater risk for distress after the diagnosis of breast cancer

Learning Objective #2: Analyze how attitudes/approaches can affect outcomes after the diagnosis of breast cancer

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Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to investigate the attitudes and lived-experience among women recently diagnosed with breast cancer with and without a family history. Design: Hermeneutic phenomenology was the interpretive approach used. Population, Sample, Setting: A purposive sampling of 30 women, newly diagnosed with breast cancer, were recruited from a breast center in Buffalo, New York. Variables/Concepts Studied: (1.) What are the common attitudes/experiences of women diagnosed with breast cancer who have relatives with breast cancer? (2.) Are these attitudes/experiences different from those with no family history of breast cancer? Methods: Hermeneutic phenomenology, that emphasizes the lived-experience holistically, guided interviews of women who were asked to tell their story about their breast cancer diagnosis. Interviews were audio-taped, transcribed and data analysis consisted of thematic analysis of the narratives. Findings: Three themes emerged: (1.) Women with a family history of breast cancer had a more optimistic/hopeful view of the diagnosis of breast cancer, focusing on survivorship; (2.) Women with a family history of breast cancer approached the diagnosis with a “when, not if” approach; (3.) Women with no family history were shocked by the diagnosis and experienced a precipitous change in life from health to illness overnight. Conclusions: Women newly diagnosed with breast cancer who had a family history dealt better with the diagnosis and dealt with the diagnosis from a survivorship perspective. Women with no family history were unsuspecting and had a difficult life transition that affected not only the symptom experience but their quality of life. Implications: As women are diagnosed with breast cancer, oncology nurses need to be aware of the intense emotions experienced particularly in those women with no family history of breast cancer. A woman's view/perception of breast cancer can affect their experiences and response to symptoms encountered.