Exploration of how women make treatment decisions after a breast cancer diagnosis.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES: To examine the information needs of women after receiving a diagnosis of breast cancer, investigate how decisions about treatment options are made, and assess personal responses to the decisions made. DESIGN: Mixed-methods approach using quantitative and qualitative data. SETTING: The University of Kansas Medical Center and Quinn Plastic Surgery Center, both in the midwestern United States. SAMPLE: 102 breast cancer survivors who had completed all forms of treatment for at least three months and less than five years. METHODS: Phase I participants completed five questionnaires about informational needs, confidence and satisfaction with the decision, decisional regret, and conflict. In phase II, 15 participants were purposively sampled from the 102 survivors to participate in a focus group session. Data analysis included frequencies and multiple regression for phase I and qualitative content analysis for phase II. MAIN RESEARCH VARIABLES: Informational needs, confidence and satisfaction with the decision, and decisional regret and conflict. FINDINGS: The variables (widowed, confidence and satisfaction with decision, and decisional conflict and regret) significantly (p = 0.01) accounted for 14% of the variance in informational needs. Two themes emerged from the study: (a) feelings, thoughts, and essential factors that impact treatment considerations, and (b) tips for enhancing treatment consideration options. CONCLUSIONS: The study's results show that women viewed informational needs as very important in making treatment decisions after being diagnosed with breast cancer. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING: The treatment team should provide the information, with consideration of the patient's personal preferences, that will assist women to make informed, confident, and satisfied decisions about treatment choices.

Breast reconstruction using tissue expanders: assessing patients' needs utilizing a holistic approach.

Breast cancer is the most common diagnosed cancer in women. One out of 8 women is diagnosed with this disease (). Today many women are candidates for breast reconstruction and opt for reconstructive surgery at the time of mastectomy. Plastic surgical nurses provide a vital link in assessing and assisting patients to acquire and assimilate the necessary information required to make informed decisions regarding reconstruction. Although there are a variety of options in breast reconstruction, the purpose of this article is to discuss tissue expansion after mastectomy for breast restoration. The article identifies the needs women may have both preoperatively and postoperatively. Orem's self-care theory model is used to describe roles nurses may assume to assist patients in decision making and performance of self-care activities during the reconstructive process.