title: Making sense of living under the shadow of death: adjusting to a recurrent breast cancer illness.
abstract: Women with recurrent breast cancer face many difficulties and challenges, from clinical symptoms of disease progression and treatment to a range of emotional responses. Guided by grounded theory methodology, we explored the main concerns of women with recurrent breast cancer, and how they were dealing with their situations. Data were collected from 40 in-depth interviews with 20 women diagnosed with recurrent breast cancer. The core category illustrated the process of "making sense of living under the shadow of death," and was based on the women's experiences of adjusting to living with a persistent life-threatening illness. Confronting a recurrence of breast cancer was a life-altering event. Moving through a difficult and challenging time, women eased their distress by letting go of losses and reassessing important values. Through a personal transition women transcended living with a life-threatening illness. These findings emphasize the importance of recognizing existential distress in clinical practice.
authors.affiliation: University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors.forename: Elisabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kenne Sarenmalm
authors.forename: Anna-Lisa
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Thorén-Jönsson
authors.forename: Fannie
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gaston-Johansson
authors.forename: Joakim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ohlén
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001293:Attitude to Death; D001294:Attitude to Health; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005239:Fear; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008016:Life Change Events; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000523:psychology*; D036301:Qualitative Research; D011788:Quality of Life; D014930:Women / Q000523:psychology*