Mulheres sobreviventes ao câncer de mama: perspectivas para a saúde e enfermagem a partir do conceito vivido

Abstract

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women worldwide, considering both developing and developed countries. Therefore, it is particulary important to rethink about the steps needed for an effective health care delivery for those who survive this disease. Aiming to unveil the meanings of women as a breast cancer survivor, qualitative research, based on Martin Heidegger's phenomenology, favoured the understanding of the aspects of the phenomenon through the being who experiences it. The research setting was the University Hospital of the Federal University of Juiz de Fora (HU-UFJF). Phenomenological interviews were conducted with 15 women. At the first methodological moment, the comprehensive analysis demonstrated that the concept of being for breast cancer survivors is expressed as follows: to live a normal life, to work and do household chores, but being unable to do more because of arm pain; to feel unable to look at herself in the mirror, to feel ugly, to have low self-esteem and to feel uncomfortable in all her clothes; to undergo medical exams, to be sad and scared of dying when she gets diagnosed but she accepts and copes with it... to think that the cancer may come back, to take care of her health and go to the doctor; to follow the treatment, to have side effects and continue the followup; to get support, help and strength from people, family and friends; to believe in God and in the power of prayers to overcome and get better; feeling like it’s changed, to live for today, to learn to value and enjoy life more... understanding that you can overcome the disease and feel stronger. In her existential movement, the woman as a breast cancer survivor showed herself from the facticity that the condition of survival imposed itself. In the ways of being in everyday life, the being-there for breast cancer woman survivor is occupied with manual taks inside and outside the home, guided by impersonality and impropriety of which she does not consider herself as a being with possibilities. Fear of death after diagnosis was unveiled. Idle talk, curiosity and ambiguity that characterized the being-in-the-world as a survivor led to the decay of health surveillance, allowing other entities to approach in the solicitude of being-with. The anguish showed itself transitory in the possibility of being-in-the-world as a breast cancer survivor that values life and oneself, however, over time, it decays in daily life in which presence often remains. Based on the meanings expressed we understand FACULDADE DE ENFERMAGEM UNIVERSIDADE FEDERAL DE JUIZ DE FORA that the sociocultural, psycho-emotional, clinical and physical impacts of breast cancer and its treatment underline the need to organize specialized and interdisciplinary care plans, focused on active and qualified listening. Considering the nurse as the health professional who provides direct care to the woman during the treatment, he/she becomes increasingly important to identify potential impacts on the biopsychosocialspiritual domain so that his/her view transcends the treatment time, envisioning the woman taking account all the aspects that permeate cancer survival.