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Health-Related Quality of Life in Iranian Breast Cancer Survivors: A Qualitative Study

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Abstract

Women play the most important role in Iranian families. Therefore, it is necessary to pay attention to efforts to maintain and promote their health. The diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer have significant physical and psycho-social impacts on patients, families and friends. This qualitative study was designed to analyze the role of several social and cultural factors and their relationship to health-related quality of life among Iranian breast cancer survivors. In-depth semi-structured and unstructured face-to-face interviews were conducted with 39 breast cancer survivors. The results of the present study revealed that most prevalent physical problems that were reported by Iranian breast cancer survivors were fatigue, pain and lymphedema related to the adverse effects of mastectomy. We found that most participants have a strong sense of spirituality and used this as a source of psychological support to help them accept their disease. Spirituality has been found to be a strong source of psychological support among Iranian breast cancer survivors. Religious faith has provided this community the strength and motivation to seek medical treatment and to be patient and relax. These findings can help researchers to provide a framework for the development of appropriate and effective culturally sensitive health interventions.

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Acknowledgements

The authors gratefully acknowledge the Institutional Review Board of Tarbiat Modares University, which approved and financially supported this project. They would like to thank all the staff at the Breast Cancer Institute for their cooperation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Medical Science, Tarbiat Modares University (TMU), Tehran, Iran

    Tayebeh Fasihi Harandy

  2. Department of Nursing, Faculty of Medical Science, Kerman University (KMU), Kerman, Iran

    Tayebeh Fasihi Harandy

  3. Department of Health Education, Faculty of Medical Science, Tarbiat Modares University (TMU), Tehran, Iran

    Fazlollah Ghofranipour, Farkhondeh Amin Shokravi & Shamsaddin Niknami

  4. Iranian Institute for Health Sciences Research, Tehran, Iran

    Ali Montazeri

  5. Department of Nursing, Faculty of Medical Science, Tarbiat Modares University (TMU), Tehran, Iran

    Monireh Anoosheh, Eesa Mohammadi & Fazlollah Ahmadi

Authors
  1. Tayebeh Fasihi Harandy
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  2. Fazlollah Ghofranipour
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  3. Ali Montazeri
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  4. Monireh Anoosheh
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  5. Eesa Mohammadi
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  6. Fazlollah Ahmadi
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  7. Farkhondeh Amin Shokravi
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  8. Shamsaddin Niknami
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Correspondence to Fazlollah Ghofranipour.

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Harandy, T.F., Ghofranipour, F., Montazeri, A. et al. Health-Related Quality of Life in Iranian Breast Cancer Survivors: A Qualitative Study. Applied Research Quality Life 5, 121–132 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11482-010-9097-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11482-010-9097-3

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