Thematic analysis of illness narratives as an example of an approach to better understand the lived experience of women diagnosed with breast cancer in Spain.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the lived experience of women diagnosed with breast cancer through the analysis of illness narratives, as an example of a narrative-based medicine approach. SETTING: Spain. PARTICIPANTS: Nine narratives stemming from non-fiction books, and six from interviews through online platforms. All participants were cis women and their ages ranged between 34 and 60 years. The inclusion criteria were being a woman and having been diagnosed with and treated for breast cancer in Spain. RESULTS: The main topics that appeared on the analysis were: secondary effects of treatment, breast loss and scars, breast reconstruction, long-term effect of treatment, positive attitude, illness as learning and use of language. Although the results of this research are preliminary, it can be said that societal expectations quickly became a burden for the patients. Moreover, there was no common behavioural pattern among the participants and how they chose to manage their cancer journey. Choosing whether or not to hide their baldness, go through reconstructive surgery or fulfil the 'patient role' were options they wanted to review based on their own priorities, and not because of external impositions. Even though the women agreed with the benefits of having a positive attitude, they also asked for space to feel rage and sadness, not to be compared with others and to be heard with no haste, as well as to be accompanied beyond the treatment, and for their long-term effects of medications to be validated. The importance of the type of comments and language used is emphasised. CONCLUSION: A narrative-based medicine approach enables us to incorporate the patient experience into the understanding of breast cancer. We encourage clinicians to be aware of the concepts of normality held by women, and to welcome different choices and different ways to experience illness.

"Carcinoma ductal in situ": la maldición de un nombre / "Ductal carcinoma in situ": the curse of a name

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¿Está la morfometría de las manos relacionada con la edad de la menarquia? / Is the morphometry of the hands related to the age of menarche?

Antecedentes: La relación entre la longitud del segundo y cuarto dedo de las manos (ratio D2:D4) se ha relacionado con la exposición intrauterina a los andrógenos. Se define un patrón androgénico cuando la longitud del cuarto dedo es superior a la del segundo y el cociente es menor de 1. Este ratio se pone en relación con aspectos del desarrollo y la función reproductiva de los individuos, tales como la resistencia al ejercicio físico, el autismo, la concentración de espermatozoides o la esterilidad. Objetivo: Establecer asociación entre la ratio D2:D4 con la edad de la menarquia. Método: Estudio transversal descriptivo sobre una población no seleccionada de 188 mujeres. Se recogen las longitudes de los dedos con un calibre digital, desde una imagen en papel obtenida con un escáner. El análisis estadístico se realizó mediante el test de correlación de Pearson, considerando significativo un valor de p<0,05. Resultados: El análisis de correlación entre los parámetros morfométricos de las manos y la edad de la menarquia, presentó relación estadísticamente significativa y directamente proporcional con la longitud del cuarto dedo en ambos manos. Conclusión: Los resultados obtenidos indican una relación entre el perfil androgénico de la morfometría de las manos y el retraso de la menarquia. Este hecho constituye un inicio en la búsqueda de relaciones entre las características morfométricas de las manos y condiciones clínicas, que podrían estar influenciadas por la exposición androgénica durante el periodo fetal.

Background: The relationship between the length of the second and fourth fingers of the hands (ratio D2:D4) has been associated with intrauterine exposure to androgens. The androgenic pattern is defined when the length of the fourth finger is higher than the second, and the ratio is lower than 1. This ratio is set in relation to aspects of development and reproductive function of individuals, such as resistance to physical exercise, autism, sperm concentration or sterility. Aims: Find relationship between the ratio D2:D4 with age of menarche. Methods: Descriptive cross-sectional study in an unselected population of 188 women. The finger lengths with a digital caliper is collected from a paper image obtained by a scanner. Statistical analysis was perfomed using the Pearson correlation coefficient, with significant value p<0.05. Results: Correlation analysis between the morphometric parameters of the hands and the age of menarche, showed statistically significant and directly proportional to the length of the fourth finger on both hands relationship. Conclusion: The results indicate a relationship between the androgenic pattern morphometry hands and late menarche. This is a start in the search for relationships between the morphometric characteristics of the hands and clinical conditions that might be influenced by androgen exposure during fetal period.

¿Sabemos qué causa el cáncer de mama? Influencia actual de los diferentes factores de riesgo / Do we know the cause of breast cancer? Current influence of the different risk factors

El cáncer de mama es la enfermedad maligna no dermatológica más frecuente en las mujeres de todo el mundo. Su incidencia se ha ido incrementando; cada año se diagnostican en el mundo 1.151.000 casos nuevos casos. En la actualidad, puede considerarse un problema sanitario de características epidémicas, ya que se estima que 1-2 mujeres de cada 10 desarrollará cáncer de mama a lo largo de su vida. Además, es la primera causa de muerte entre las mujeres en el mundo. En los últimos años, se han realizado multitud de trabajos encaminados a aclarar las causas últimas de esta enfermedad. En esta revisión de la bibliografía científica, presentamos el estado actual de los factores de riesgo del cáncer de mama, así como su influencia en el desarrollo dela enfermedad (AU)

Breast cancer is one of the most common malignancies among women. Its incidence is increasing, with 1,151,000 new cases diagnosed every year. Nowadays, it could be considered an epidemic disease because it is estimated that 1-2women in every 10 will develop this cancer during their lives. Moreover, it is the first cause of death among women worldwide. A lot of work has been carried investigating the causes of breast cancer in the last few years. We have carried outa review of the scientific literature concerning the current situation of risk factors for breast cancer, and their influence in the development of the illness (AU)