A Reading on

BREAST CANCER

In Partial Fulfillment of the

Requirements in NCM 214-RLE

IMMUNOLOGY/CANCER ROTATION

Submitted to:
MRS. MARILOU HERNANDEZ, RN, MN
Clinical Instructor

MS. RAVEN MAYBANTING, St. N

Practicing Clinical Instruction

Submitted by:
JULLIANE PEARL J. CAHULOGAN
BSN 3L-Group 3

SEPTEMBER 16, 2022

TITLE: Living with Male Breast Cancer: A Qualitative Study of Men’s Experiences and
Care Needs

BIBLIOGRAPHY: Nguyen T, S, Bauer M, Maass N, Kaduszkiewicz H: Living with Male

Breast Cancer: A Qualitative Study of Men’s Experiences and Care Needs. Breast Care
2020;15:6-13. doi: 10.1159/000501542

SUMMARY:
This study is a qualitative study that aims to know about the experiences of men
who are diagnosed with breast cancer and to also identify their supported care needs.
The researchers recruited their participants from a Male Breast Cancer support group
and a university hospital. The researchers used the recruitment method to gain a
significant insight into the account of men with breast cancer. Participants from both
settings were invited to participate in a semi-structured interview with the
guidance/using the data privacy act to maintain and respect their anonymity. Since this
study is an under-researched topic, the researchers opted to use a qualitative approach
and a semi-structured interviews were used to explore the experiences of men
diagnosed with breast cancer. The participants were given an option to be interviewed
either by telephone or face-to-face. All the participants opted to be interviewed through
telephone. The interviews were audiotaped and transcribed verbatim using an alias as a
label to ensure anonymity and confidentiality of the participants. There are a total of
eighteen patients who agreed to participate in a telephone interview. The age of the
participants were between 53 and 83 years old, their average age is 68.5 years. The
average time since they were diagnosed was 4.5 years. Thirteen of them retired due to
age, and five are still working. The interview lasted for 18-85 minutes, which on average
is 41 minutes.
The questions were divided into four categories, Category 1: Living with a
“Woman’s Disease.” The topics under this category are, Perceptions, Stigma, and Body
Image. Category 2: Barriers, topics under this category are, Hormonotherapy, Lack of
Awareness and Experience among HCP (Health care providers), and Standard
Procedures do not take men into account. Category 3: Coping, topics are Wive’s
Support, Support Groups, and Other coping strategies. Category 4: Supportive Care
Needs, topics are Psychosocial and Informational. In the first category in the subject of
Perceptions, the patients have different views on being diagnosed with a “women’s
disease.” Other patients considered Male Breast Cancer as an “exotic” disease and is a
threat to their masculinity, while others just thinks of it as just “any other disease.” One
of the patients said that their biggest problem was how to tell their wife that they are
diagnosed with a “women’s disease” and that they thought that maybe they aren’t a real
man and perhaps a half woman because of a acquiring this disease. But one patient
expressed a positive reaction towards the disease, saying that they are actually happy
that it was breast cancer as it made them feel that they have something special. In the
subject of stigma, the prticipants addressed stigma by reporting on the way how others
reacted to their disease upon knowing, indicating that the general perception of breast
cancer as a women’s disease is what prevented them from opening up to others. One
patient said that upon opening up to others thay would thought that they were just telling
fairytales and that made them feel the worst. One participant even said that female
patients in the ward are also uncooperative and that they felt like an outsider. In the
copic of Body Image, generally, the mastectomy scar was not a problem to them, albeit
admittedly, the patients did try to hide it at first. However, the hair loss as an effect of
chemotherapy was a concern to some. They said that if they were a female, they would
have a more negative feeling towards mastectomy because it would have been “more
life-changing,” adding that it’s like losing their femininity.
For the second category, in the subject of hormonotherapy, the participants
expressed their frustration and doubted whether they should take the same medications
as females as they wish to explore the effectivity and side effects of hormonotherapy
specifically for men. In the topic of Awareness, the patients felt that the Health care
providers knew little about their disease, in terms of diagnosis and treatment. They also
reported the lack of sensitivity and that they were not taken seriously. In the third
category in the context of Wive’s support, all the married patients expressed that it was
mainly social and emotional support from their partners is what helped them cope. In
support groups on the other hand, the members of the MBC support group mentioned
that attending the support group, improved their quality of life and it also helped with the
increasing public awareness on MBC by giving interviews, attending congresses, and
distributing brochures. Other coping strategies of the other patients were physical
activity and acupuncture, some also considered psychosocial therapy and hospital
social services helpful. For the final category, in the context of psychosocial, patients
expressed the need for male-specific psychosocial support. In the topic of Informational,
the participants expressed their criticisms for the lack of patient information. Considering
the fact that breast cancer predominantly happens on female patients, they lack
awareness and they do not know what to expect in therapies and the side effects of it.
They said that they would significantly appreciate the efforts of including men in breast
cancer awareness.
In conclusion, breast cancer is still perceived as a “Women’ disease” and men
diagnosed with breast cancer seems to hinder access to an adequate care and medical
services. Rasing awareness in both the general population and the HCP is assumed to
be essential. This study also shows that there is a significant need to generate more
studies and evidences on the diagnosis, treatments, and side effects of the therapeutic
regimens in men.

REACTION:
Male breast cancer (MBC) is a rare disease that only accounts for less than 1%
of all breast cancer diagnoses in Germany alone. The last two decades, its incidence
increased by almost 50%, the results shows that men are usually diagnosed at later
stages and have worse prognoses compared to women. Due to its rarity, MBC is
unknown both in general public and among health care providers. They receive little to
no attention in breast cancer research, understandably so, as breast cancer
predominantly affects females. Therapeutic regimens and other treatments are based
on the available evidences with women as the subject and no data where the subjects
are men. Given this dilemma, a continuos research for unanswered questions and
queries would be significant not only to the patients but also to the health care
providers.
As an aspiring nurse, I feel sad at the same time grateful. I feel sad for the fact
that there are a lot of unanswered questions regarding breast cancer in males. As it is a
disease that predominantly affects female and often times MBC is given no attention.
Their treatments could be different from female patients, if only there was enough
research and evidences of different treatments. I am also grateful that the authors
decided to take into initiative to explore the experiences of men with breast cancer so as
to have an understanding about their experiences, their worries, other inquiries, and
suggestions which gives us an idea on what type of research we should be focusing on
in the future or what we context we should be looking into to improve their quality of
care, treatment, and life. This study is acts as a pioneer in investigating male breast
cancer.
With a lack of knowledge on this disease, specifically in males, and its increasing
cases and mortality rate albeit rare, we cannot deny how this study is of significant help
not only to the patients but also to the health care providers and institutions. Thus, this
study would greatly contribute to nursing education, nursing practice, and nursing
research. It contributes to the nursing education for it added a new knowledge, and
allowed the students to grasp on different interventions, and to give an idea on how and
what to do to MBC patients. In nursing practice, it will elevate the skills of the students,
for this will upskill their way of handling patients specifically on interventions that should
be rendered, precautions to follow or watch out for, and other nursing care.
Furthermore, this study acts as a bridge that slowly fills-in the gap in the area of study,
where there is still an ongoing inquiry. This would act as a basis of further researches.
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