ArticleBMC pregnancy and childbirth2021
Reproductive concerns and fear of cancer recurrence: a qualitative study of women's experiences of the perinatal period after cancer.
Article in BMC pregnancy and childbirth, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
9 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 23 citations in OpenAlex.
- "I didn't really fit into any boxes": understanding the experiences of women affected by cancer in pregnancy and up to one-year postpartum-a mixed-method systematic review.Journal of cancer survivorship : research and practice · 2026Pooled it
- The experiences of reproductive concerns in cancer survivors: A systematic review and meta-synthesis of qualitative studies.Cancer medicine · 2023Pooled it
- Cancer During Pregnancy: Navigating Clinical and Research Challenges.Current oncology (Toronto, Ont.) · 2026Review
- Article
- Validation of the Oncofertility Support Scale derived from the Fertility Information Support scale among young adult women with breast cancer.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2025Article
- Childbearing in women diagnosed with cancer during reproductive age.Acta obstetricia et gynecologica Scandinavica · 2025Article
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Reproductive Concerns and Psychological Status in Reproductive-aged Breast Cancer Survivors: A Pretest-Posttest Intervention Study.Brain and behavior · 2025Article
- The Mediating Effect of Psychological Resilience and Coping Style on Fear of Recurrence and Reproductive Concerns in Breast Cancer Patients of Childbearing Age.Psychology research and behavior management · 2024Article
- Including a discussion forum in a web-based intervention on fertility and sexuality following cancer - Usage and content.Internet interventions · 2022Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
4 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundYoung female cancer survivors are at a disproportionate risk of suffering significant psychological distress following treatment, particularly fears of cancer recurrence (FCR). While previous research has established the robust relationship between FCR and family matters (e.g., family planning and motherhood), there is a paucity of information about how a history of cancer affects women's psychological functioning throughout the perinatal period. The present investigation sought to better understand women's experiences of pregnancy and the postpartum period following cancer treatment through a qualitative analysis.
methodsTen women participated in a semi-structured, one-on-one interview either over telephone or video conferencing (Zoom). Women were recruited from Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto, as well as through online cancer support platforms, and social media sites. Participants all had a past cancer diagnosis; no active disease; were 45-years of age or younger; currently in the perinatal period; and spoke English fluently. The study employed a grounded theory analysis by which verbatim interview data were analysed using a constant comparison method until data saturation was reached.
resultsThe qualitative analysis yielded I'm So Happy, But Also Terrified, as the core category, indicative of the duality of emotional experience that characterized the perinatal period for these women. Additionally, four higher-order categories emerged revealing how women go through a process of grief related to potential fertility loss; conditional joy during and after pregnancy due to the lingering weight of cancer; frustration with a lack of resources regarding perinatal health after cancer; and hope as they enter into motherhood.
conclusionThese results suggest that women in the perinatal period with a history of cancer may be at an increased risk for psychological distress and require additional fertility and reproductive resources both during and after cancer treatment. This research is an important step in further understanding women's experiences of pregnancy after cancer and may help to inform future research and healthcare practices, in addition to improving perinatal care after cancer.
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