Beyond Remission: An In-Depth Exploration of Recovery Needs, Gaps, and Obstacles Faced by Working-Age Breast Cancer Survivors – A Qualitative Study

Abstract

Background: Breast cancer (BC) is the most prevalent cancer in women worldwide, with approximately 1 in 7 women receiving a diagnosis during their lifetime. The survival rate of BC has increased from 47,600 to 75,000 in the Netherlands over the past two decades, due to advancements in treatment and early detection. As survivors navigate life with or beyond cancer, uncertainties and obstacles often arise, highlighting the importance of care for optimal recovery. Recovery care should ensure customisations to survivors' specific needs and obstacles. Unfortunately, many survivors experience gaps in current care, leading to a challenging transition from patient to living beyond cancer. Especially survivors of working age experience difficulties reintegrating into society after BC. To optimise recovery care, it is essential to properly identify the experienced recovery needs, gaps, and obstacles of working-age BC survivors.

Aim: This study focuses on exploring the needs, gaps, and obstacles during recovery, which working-age BC survivors in remission, in the Netherlands experience.

Methods: This study employed an exploratory qualitative design. Twelve female Dutch BC survivors participated in online semi-structured, in-depth interviews, which were recorded, transcribed verbatim, and thematically analysed.

Results: The analysis resulted in four themes of experienced needs, three themes of experienced gaps, and six themes of experienced obstacles. The needs are integrated care, psychological care, information provision, and coping guidance. The gaps are follow-up care, guidance during the transition period post-treatment, and obtaining information. The obstacles are long-term effects, coordination of healthcare, finances, participation in society, personal matters, and time factors.

Conclusions: The participants felt that the currently available recovery care in the Netherlands was insufficient. BC survivors expressed unmet needs and experience a sense of being lost in transition post-treatment. Encountered obstacles hinder their recovery and societal reintegration.

Recommendations: It is recommended that healthcare professionals should take a holistic approach, considering long-term effects and the work-home environments of survivors, to provide personalised care and information access. Future studies should focus on improving recovery care to address the experienced needs, gaps, and obstacles effectively.