The lived experience of cognitive impairment in women treated with chemotherapy for breast cancer.

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Publication Type dissertation
School or College College of Nursing
Department Nursing
Author Mulrooney, Tamsin.
Title The lived experience of cognitive impairment in women treated with chemotherapy for breast cancer.
Date 2007-12
Description A growing body of literature supports that a subgroup of women treated with chemotherapy for breast cancer may experience of cognitive impairment after therapy. Few studies have described the lived experience of cognitive impairment. The purpose of this dissertation study was to describe the lived experience of self reported cognitive impairment in a sample of women who were treated with chemotherapy for breast cancer. This exploratory study used both descriptive and interpretive Gadamerian phaenomenological theory to examine the experience of cognitive impairment on day-to-day life. Ten women treated with chemotherapy for breast cancer 15-52 months prior and identified themselves as having cognitive impairment were interviewed twice about their experiences. Three themes were identified in the analysis; "I just don't fell like me," "trying my best to live with it" and "I am alive." Participants described problems with memory, learning, concentration, language and multitasking abilities. Incidents of "chemo brain" could occur at any time and affected the ability to perform usual activities at work and at home Coping mechanisms were practical and attitudinal. Self esteem was sometimes negatively affected. Relationships were changed with some participants describing more isolation from friends and family and other describer greater support. The final theme speaks to the bigger experience of breast cancer and within that, the experience of chemo brain. The women believed that chemo brain was something that developed because of the necessary treatment for breast cancer. Often the women spoke about how they had survived breast cancer and that surviving was above all else the most important thing. Future implications for nursing and research include recognizing that cognitive impairment is experienced in a subgroup of breast cancer survivors. While it is important to inform breast cancer patients of this potential problem, it is also important to assess for other underlying factors that can play a role in cognitive impairment. The results of this study showed that social support is important to successful coping with cognitive impairment. More research is warranted to access this relationship. In addition, the participants provided concrete coping skills that can be easily used by cancer survivors struggling with cognitive impairment.
Type Text
Publisher University of Utah
Subject Psychological Aspects; Breast Cancer
Subject MESH Breast Neoplasms; Cognition Disorders
Dissertation Institution University of Utah
Dissertation Name PhD
Language eng
Relation is Version of Digital reproduction of "The lived experience of cognitive impairment in women treated with chemotherapy for breast cancer." Spencer S. Eccles Health Sciences Library. Print version of "N The lived experience of cognitive impairment in women treated with chemotherapy for breast cancer." available at J. Willard Marriott Library Special Collection. RC39.5 2007 .M84.
Rights Management © Tamsin Mulrooney.
Format Medium application/pdf
Identifier us-etd2,150
Source Original: University of Utah Spencer S. Eccles Health Sciences Library (no longer available).
Funding/Fellowship American Cancer Society Doctoral Degree Scholarship in Cancer Nursing (grant number DSCN-03-205-03), a scholarship from the Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center Auxiliary and by a National Cancer Institute training grant (1 R25 CA093831-01-01A1, principal investigator K. Mooney PhD).
ARK ark:/87278/s63j3tm3
Setname ir_etd
ID 193692
Reference URL https://collections.lib.utah.edu/ark:/87278/s63j3tm3