ArticleSupportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer2024
I'm still me, I'm still a person: war metaphor use and meaning making in women with metastatic breast cancer.
Article in Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
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2 citing papers in PubMed, 3 citations in OpenAlex.
- Lived experiences of life with newly diagnosed advanced cancer - a qualitative interview study.International journal of qualitative studies on health and well-being · 2025Article
- The Traces of Cancer: A Metaphorical Understanding of the Experiences of Women Living Beyond Breast Cancer.Qualitative health research · 2024Article
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5 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
purposeThe war metaphor is one strategy used frequently in breast cancer to inspire individuals in a "fight" against cancer and assist patients in navigating their illness experience. Despite prominent use, the emotional impact of this language has not been examined in the context of meaning making among women with metastatic breast cancer (MBC).
methodsThis study involved a semi-structured interview considering the war metaphor's impact on women's illness experience with MBC. Participants (n = 22) had been diagnosed with MBC for at least 6 months or following 1 disease progression and were undergoing treatment at an NCI-designated cancer center in Western Pennsylvania at the time of interview. Each participant underwent an individual interview exploring the war metaphor's impact on illness experience. Qualitative thematic analysis was performed to assess feelings about the war metaphor and emotional response to the lived experience of cancer.
resultsTwo themes were identified surrounding metaphor use and participants' experiences with meaning making in cancer. First, women with MBC perceive the diagnosis as an "unfair fight" due to its incurable nature. Second, patients use alternative language of "living life" and communicate resistance to being defined by their cancer diagnosis.
conclusionWar metaphors are one collection of terminology people use to understand their diagnosis. However, their use may apply pressure to prioritize positivity in the face of diagnosis and treatment, in a unique clinical context where this may not be adaptive. These findings affirm a need to consider patients' lived experiences to best facilitate psychological adjustment to illness.
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