Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #115120

Victoria H. Raveis, PhD and Sheindy Pretter, PhD. Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, 100 Haven Avenue, Suite 6A, New York, NY 10032, 212 304 5563, vhr1@columbia.edu

Because of the hereditary component of breast cancer, daughters learning of their mother's diagnosis are at the same time learning of their own membership in a high risk group. Simultaneously, daughters involved in providing informal support and assistance to their mother during treatment are also confronted on a regular basis with various aspects of the disease and its management. Seeing first-hand the difficulties related to their mother's breast cancer experience can impact daughters' sense of personal risk and increase their illness-related concerns. The data for this presentation is drawn from a study of breast cancer survivorship and the family. In-depth, face-to-face interviews have been conducted with an ethnically diverse sample of adult daughters caring for their mother who has been diagnosed with breast cancer. The interviews, conducted in English or Spanish, were audiotaped, transcribed and subjected to content analysis. These analyses delineated daughters' psychosocial reactions to their mother's diagnosis, the meaning of this illness experience, the implications of these issues to their sense of personal risk and the impact of careprovision on these illness perceptions. Their narrative accounts have documented that intimate exposure to their mother's cancer experience has impacted the illness representations they ascribe to the disease, particularly with regard to its ‘identity' and ‘consequences'. Six themes have emerged that speak to the nature and characteristics of the illness experience: “Breast cancer is a difficult challenge for the patient to deal with”; “Breast cancer is a challenge that can be endured”; “Treatment/hospital experience can be unpleasant”; “Treatment/hospital experience can be pleasant”; “Illness situation is traumatic for family members”; and, “Breast cancer can be manageable for the family”. Eight other themes speak to the effects of the illness experience: “Breast cancer exacts an emotional toll from family members”; “Family members can become preoccupied with the illness”; “Breast cancer places a burden on family members”; “Breast cancer complicates patient-family relationships”; “Breast cancer engenders dissension among family members”; “Family members experience an increased sense of personal vulnerability”; “Family members concerned about passing on risk to children”; and, “Positive consequences can emerge from the cancer experience”. These findings document the need to develop support programs and services that address the array of salient issues and concerns that family members encounter as part of a relative's breast cancer experience. Health care practitioners need to be aware of commonly-held illness perceptions given the consequences such beliefs may have on at-risk daughters' preventive health behavior.

Learning Objectives:

• Articulate the psychosocial support needs of women living with a family history of breast cancer.
• Prioritize the issues addressed in family counseling sessions.
• Develop targeted programs to address concerns and issues relatives of cancer encounter.

Keywords: Breast Cancer, Caregivers

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.