Thesis (M.A.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2007. / The entire dissertation/thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file (which also appears in the research.pdf); a non-technical general description, or public abstract, appears in the public.pdf file. Title from title screen of research.pdf file (viewed on November 5, 2007) Includes bibliographical references.

Partners play a critical role in making decisions about fertility preservation among young patients with cancer, yet little is known about these dyadic decisions when planning cancer treatment. Fertility preservation entails helping cancer patients preserve fertility after cancer treatment. This qualitative study investigated: 1) Heterosexual couples' responses to potential fertility loss; 2) their process in making fertility preservation decisions; 3) their ethical and legal concerns, and 4) recommendations for other couples undergoing similar treatment. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 heterosexual couples whose female partners were diagnosed with cancer and had received fertility preservation consultations within the past 5 years. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using grounded theory methods. The results indicated that couples have varied reactions to infertility. In most, spouses let the patients take the lead in, and supported, their fertility preservation decisions. Spouses recommended support to patients. Couples face challenges in making fertility preservation decisions. Input from, and support for, both partners is essential to ensure well-informed, high-quality fertility preservation decisions.

[Truncated abstract] This thesis examines the health outcomes of women exposed to blue asbestos at Wittenoom, Western Australia. Blue asbestos was mined and milled from 1943 to 1966 by the Australian Blue Asbestos Company (ABA) at Wittenoom, 1,600km from Perth in the remote Pilbara region of Western Australia. The original work for this thesis is presented in six manuscripts, some of which have been published in peer-reviewed Journals. The following aims have been investigated. 1. (a) To compare the all-cause mortality rates of women who lived at Wittenoom compared with all-cause mortality rates of the Western Australian female population (b) To assess the exposure-response relationship between asbestos and mortality in women. 2. (a) To compare the incidence rates of common cancers in women who lived at Wittenoom, compared with the incidence rates of these cancers in the Western Australian female population. (b) To assess the exposure-response relationship between asbestos and cancer incidence at various sites in women. 3. (a) To determine if reproductive cancers (ovarian, uterine cervical and corpus and breast) and gestational trophoblastic diseases are associated with asbestos exposure. v (b) To determine if ovarian cancer has been misclassified as malignant peritoneal mesothelioma or vice versa. (c) To determine if colon cancer has been misclassified as malignant peritoneal mesothelioma or vice versa. (d) To assess the exposure-response relationship between asbestos and reproductive cancer incidence. 4. To assess the susceptibility of women to asbestos exposure in comparison with men with similar exposure histories. 5. To predict the future mortality from malignant mesothelioma among women who lived at Wittenoom. '...' The Wittenoom crocidolite industry has had a damaging impact upon the health of the women workers and residents who lived there. Wittenoom women are more likely to die from malignant mesothelioma and lung cancer, all cancers and all causes than women in the Western Australian population. This brief period of crocidolite mining in Western Australia's history will continue to exert a detrimental impact upon the future of the women who lived there, with another 66 to 87 mesotheliomas predicted to occur to the end of 2030.

1) My Truth: Women Speak Cancer is a creative nonfiction based on three years of interviews with twelve survivors told through the lens of the author's experience as a three-time, sixteen-year survivor of multiple cancers. Each chapter features a different survivor and her story; the cancers discussed include non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, Osteosarcoma, Melanoma, as well as brain, ovarian, breast, and thyroid cancers. Current definitions, treatments and statistics are included at the end of each chapter. The book ends with a comprehensive After Words, combining poetry and prose, taking the reader on a further journey of introspection on life, love, friendship, and loss. 2) The Narrative of Pathogynography is a critical exegesis using established theory in the fields of creative writing, sociology, ethnography, literature, and medicine to examine and further define the sub genre of the theoria, poiesis and praxis involved in creating women's illness narrative, or what Housel terms, pathogynography. Housel develops original terminology to define yet undiscovered spaces based on her work in My Truth: Women Speak Cancer.

Background and Aim: Globally, breast cancer is the most common cancer among women. The stage of the disease at diagnosis is a core determinant of its health outcome. In low to middle-income countries like Nigeria, advanced stage of disease presentation for medical care represents a significant problem. While mortality rates from breast cancer are declining in developed countries like Canada, they are increasing in developing countries like Nigeria. It is well documented that presentation for medical care at the early stages of the disease improves outcome. Knowledge of the factors that impact seeking medical care after breast cancer symptom discovery in women and knowledge of the factors that impact participation in breast health activities by women is important in reducing breast cancer-related mortality. Methods and Design: This integrative review critically examined the determinants of health outcomes of women living with breast cancer in Canada and Nigeria from 1990-2014. Specifically, it examined the factors that impact seeking medical care after breast cancer symptom discovery in women. It also explored the factors that impact participation in breast health activities by women in the two countries from 1990 to 2014. A total of 303 articles were identified and retrieved by searching the following databases: CINAHL, MEDLINE, and EMBASE. Grey literature from relevant organizations websites were identified using Google Scholar. Among the 303 articles identified, 55 met the inclusion criteria. Results and Conclusion: Findings from the articles that met the inclusion criteria showed that Canadians have a high level of breast health awareness. The findings also suggest that women in Nigeria have rather poor knowledge of breast health awareness and breast cancer. In Nigeria, presentation with an advanced stage of the disease made survival very low. This also compromises the quality of life of the patients. The major factors responsible for the late presentations were a lack of breast cancer awareness and education. Other social factors that mitigate against early presentations for medical care include misconceptions about breast cancer treatment and outcomes. In line with the findings of this study, it is recommended that wide spread culturally sensitive, linguistically appropriate, health education programs to teach breast health awareness should be developed and disseminated. Such health awareness programs should be targeted at women through various channels such as the media, the television, and radio. Also, within the hospital, the developed education programs should be integrated into the existing women health education programs. Non-government and other charitable organizations can also make significant contributions to breast health awareness through sponsoring health talks and workshops targeted at relevant segments of the population. Key search words: Breast cancer, breast neoplasm, diagnosis, prevention and control, health knowledge, patient attitude and practice, breast self-examination, awareness, patient education as topic, mass screening, early detection of cancer, Nigeria, Canada.

Steady increases in breast cancer burden have recently been observed in Ghana. Despite the low incidence of the disease compared with other African countries, breast cancer deaths are high in this West African country. However, the uptake of breast cancer screening programs remains extremely low among Ghanaian women. Using a mixed methods approach comprising quantitative surveys and focus groups interviews, this study examined the influences of individual and contextual level factors on Ghanaian women’s intention to perform breast self-examination or undergo clinical breast examination and mammography screening. The results suggest that health beliefs, knowledge, and sociodemographic, cultural and health system factors individually and collectively influence intentions towards breast cancer screening. These findings highlight the need for health education interventions to promote breast cancer screening programs, while addressing systemic, psychosocial, and cultural barriers to screening. / viii, 187 leaves ; 29 cm

1) My Truth: Women Speak Cancer is a creative nonfiction based on three years of interviews with twelve survivors told through the lens of the author's experience as a three-time, sixteen-year survivor of multiple cancers. Each chapter features a different survivor and her story; the cancers discussed include non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, Osteosarcoma, Melanoma, as well as brain, ovarian, breast, and thyroid cancers. Current definitions, treatments and statistics are included at the end of each chapter. The book ends with a comprehensive After Words, combining poetry and prose, taking the reader on a further journey of introspection on life, love, friendship, and loss. 2) The Narrative of Pathogynography is a critical exegesis using established theory in the fields of creative writing, sociology, ethnography, literature, and medicine to examine and further define the sub genre of the theoria, poiesis and praxis involved in creating women's illness narrative, or what Housel terms, pathogynography. Housel develops original terminology to define yet undiscovered spaces based on her work in My Truth: Women Speak Cancer.

Thesis (M.A.)--Northern Kentucky University, 2008. / Made available through ProQuest. Publication number: AAT 1459939. ProQuest document ID: 1622198781. Includes bibliographical references (p. 30-31)

Thesis (M.F.A.)--Syracuse University, 2002. / "This thesis is the first seven chapters of my novel-in-progress, 'Torch'."--"Abstract." "Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Fine Arts in fiction writing in the Graduate School of Syracuse University."

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of California, San Diego and San Diego State University, 2006. / Title from first page of PDF file (viewed June 27, 2006). Available via ProQuest Digital Dissertations. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (p. 123-133).