Cancer Survivor Health Needs for Women

"Like one part of a puzzle" - individualized aromatherapy for women with gynecological cancers in aftercare: results from a qualitative-focused mixed-methods study

BACKGROUND

Gynecological cancer(s), including breast cancer patients in aftercare and survivors, need supportive strategies to cope with symptoms that are adapted to their individual needs and circumstances. Aromatherapy has potential to be such strategy, but (qualitative) empirical research taking users' own views into consideration about the potential and challenge of aromatherapy is lacking.

PURPOSE

The purpose of the study is to gain insights from individualized aromatherapy as a supportive care treatment, regarding their use and evaluation by women with gynecological cancers in aftercare.

METHODS

We conducted a study with a mixed-methods design, focused on qualitative research. Five essential oil products were given to 18 participants to apply individually over a 4-week period. After the intervention, qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted. Further, we documented and assessed symptomatic burdens of the women (MYMOP2) before and after intervention quantitatively.

RESULTS

Aromatherapy was customized by the participants according to their needs. It showed potential for relief of symptomatic burdens - especially nausea, peripheral neuropathy, pain, and sleep. Additionally, opportunities emerged to indirectly affect symptomatic burdens. These developed out of new coping strategies (e.g., sleep routines) or by combining with existing strategies (e.g., meditation). Furthermore, aromatherapy was successfully used to promote well-being and encourage mindfulness.

CONCLUSION

Our findings demonstrated the potential of aromatherapy as a supportive treatment modality that can be used as a kind of toolbox. Challenges, such as individual odor aversions and intolerances, and limitations due to medication or illness should be considered in future aromatherapy research.

"To have and then lose the safety net" - Female cancer survivors' experiences of the process of becoming ready to return to work

BACKGROUND

Validation studies have not been able to confirm the stage-specific understanding as operationalised in the readiness for return to work (RRTW) questionnaire.

OBJECTIVE

To explore retrospectively how working female cancer survivors experienced the process of becoming ready to RTW during and beyond participation in an occupational rehabilitation intervention and thereby expand the understanding of the RRTW construct.

METHODS

A qualitative research design was employed. Thirteen female cancer survivors were included for semi-structured interviews one to two years after they had completed active treatment and returned to work. The RRTW construct guided data generation and analysis. Content analysis was performed in four analytical steps that combined a concept-driven and a data-driven analytic strategy.

RESULTS

Three themes were identified; "To have and then lose the safety net", "Realise a changed life situation", "Strive to balance work and everyday life". In a time span of approximately one to two years (from receiving treatment, being enrolled in an intervention and to gradually returning to work); the identified themes were interdependent of each other as one theme gradually evolved to the next theme in the process of engaging in sustained work participation.

CONCLUSIONS

The present study points towards continuous development of the RRTW construct and whether the addition of a preparedness dimension would improve validity.