A hermeneutic phenomenological study on the disease experience among young women with breast cancer

OBJECTIVE: Women diagnosed with breast cancer under the age of 40 face distinctive physical and psychosocial challenges resulting from the disease's pathological features and the developmental aspects associated with their youth. This study aims to investigate the lived experience of breast cancer among this group of young women. METHODS: Participants were purposefully selected from online communities and chat rooms in South Korea. A total of 15 young women with breast cancer were included in this study, and data were gathered through three focus group interviews. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using the hermeneutic phenomenology method. RESULTS: Four essential themes emerged based on four lifeworld existentials: lived body, lived time, lived space, and lived others. These four essential themes were: a wounded and sick body, life robbed of youth and elderly years, crossroads of growth discovered at life's extremes, and a steadfast companion on a solitary journey. CONCLUSIONS: Young women with breast cancer face unique challenges due to the intersection of a severe illness and its impact during their formative years. This study offers valuable insights for crafting customized interventions that directly target the physical and psychosocial requirements of young breast cancer survivors, ultimately enhancing their quality of life.