| Summary: | Breast cancer is a major health concern for Canadian women. Women diagnosed with
breast cancer undergo breast cancer treatment, and must deal with the stressors that treatment
presents. The present study drew on Lazarus and Folkman's (1984) transactional model to ensure
that the meanings of "stress" and "coping" were based on each woman's appraisals. For the
purpose of the study, treatment was defined as at least one breast surgery (i.e., lumpectomy or
mastectomy), and at least one form of adjuvant therapy (i.e., chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or
hormone therapy).
Ten Caucasian women, aged 47 to 74, took place in an audio-taped, semi-structured
interview. On average, the interviews were one hour in length. The research question that guided
each interview was: "At each stage of breast cancer treatment what was the most salient stressor,
and how did the women cope with that stressor?" The interviews were transcribed and analyzed
using the constant comparative method (Strauss & Corbin, 1990). Data analysis also included
open coding and memo writing.
The findings revealed that, for these women, breast cancer treatment presented a number of
stressors, and the women responded by mobilizing predominantly active coping strategies. In
addition to a lack of concrete links between stressors and coping strategies, a clear progression in
the coping strategies of the women throughout treatment was not apparent. However, the themes
indicate that the appraisal processes of the women during treatment were complex and dynamic.
Seven themes emerged from the analysis that represented the salient stressors and coping
strategies during treatment. The themes included: (a) Dimensions of Time, (b) Physical Effects
of Treatment, (c) Being Prepared, (d) Emotionality During Treatment, (e) Support from Others,
(f) Thoughts to Self, and (g) Doing for Self.
What each woman appraised as a stressor depended on her unique interaction with her
environment, and the coping strategies she mobilized depended on her view of the world, her
coping resources, and her context. An understanding that each woman's appraisal process (i.e.,
what are stressors) is unique, and that multiple elements contribute to coping is valuable to
clinicians working with women undergoing breast cancer treatment. === Education, Faculty of === Educational and Counselling Psychology, and Special Education (ECPS), Department of === Graduate
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