title: Social support for breast cancer management among Portuguese-speaking immigrant women.
abstract: Breast cancer is one of the most commonly diagnosed types of cancer among women in Canada. Much health sciences research has examined this topic. The importance of formal and informal social support in managing breast cancer has received particular attention, but research with immigrant women has been limited. This article presents the findings of an applied ethnographic study conducted in Toronto, Canada, with 12 Portuguese-speaking women from Brazil, Portugal, and Angola about their need for, access to, and use of social support in the management of breast cancer. The key findings pertain to cancer-related fears and stigma that restrict access to and use of informal social support, barriers to obtaining formal social support, and women's resilience in the context of limited informal and formal social support. Implications for healthcare providers are presented at micro, meso, and macro levels.
authors.affiliation: Daphne Cockwell School of Nursing, Ryerson University.
authors.forename: Sepali
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Guruge
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Maheu
authors.forename: Margareth Santos
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Zanchetta
authors.forename: Francyelle
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Fernandez
authors.forename: Lorena
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Baku
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000884:Anthropology, Cultural / Q000379:methods; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000208:ethnology / Q000451:nursing / Q000523:psychology; D002170:Canada / Q000453:epidemiology; D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants / Q000523:psychology*; D005239:Fear / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research / Q000379:methods; D011174:Portugal / Q000208:ethnology; D012944:Social Support; D013240:Stereotyping