“My experience has been a terrible one, something I could not run away from”: Zambian women’s experiences of advanced breast cancer

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women worldwide and the second most common cancer in women treated at the Cancer Diseases Hospital in Zambia. Unfortunately most women present with advanced disease, too late to be cured. The purpose of the study was to describe the experiences of Zambian women living with advanced breast cancer. We used a descriptive qualitative design and purposive sampling to select the participants. Ten in depth interviews were conducted and thematic analyses analysed the data. Data saturation determined the sample size. The average age of the participants was 48.2 years and most (7 of 10) had Stage IV breast cancer. Four themes arose from the data: experiencing the signs and symptoms of breast cancer, learning about the diagnosis and treatment, undergoing the treatment and living with advanced breast cancer. The study has shown that living with advanced breast cancer comprises severe suffering which started before diagnosis with the inability to recognise the signs. In addition, participants experienced various losses such as femininity, physical strength and appearance, roles and support which changed the lives they had lived before becoming ill. They battled through the chemotherapy and feared stigmatisation, yet receiving treatment and care brought hope.