As the population of the United States continues to expand, the ratio of elderly individuals will also escalate. Because the incidence of breast cancer increases with age, it can be expected there will be a proliferation in the number of older women with breast cancer in the future. The purpose of this study was to conduct a secondary analysis of a qualitative data set of elderly women newly diagnosed with breast cancer for the purposes of exploring the experiences of having breast cancer in later life. A qualitative phenomenological design was used. A prior data set was used consisting of interviews with 16 women aged 65 and older newly diagnosed with breast cancer and in their first week of treatment. Giorgi's stepwise approach to data analysis served as the method for data analysis. Major themes identified included: (a) participants had knowledge deficits of breast cancer risks and treatments, (b) some participants utilized routine mammography for breast cancer screening, (c) most breast cancer was diagnosed by mammography, (d) all participants experienced overwhelming emotional reactions to the diagnosis of breast cancer, and ( e) outlook for the future included both immediate and future plans. In conclusion, it is important for health care providers to understand the meaning of having breast cancer in later life, to educate older women about this disease, and to conduct future research including this population.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ucf.edu/oai:stars.library.ucf.edu:rtd-3554 |
| Date | 01 January 1998 |
| Creators | Tate, Karen F. |
| Publisher | University of Central Florida |
| Source Sets | University of Central Florida |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Source | Retrospective Theses and Dissertations |
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