Breast Cancer Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Breast Cancer, including details on symptoms, genetics, screening, treatment, information.

Punjabi immigrant women's breast cancer stories.

Howard AF, Bottorff JL, Balneaves LG, Grewal SK

School of Nursing, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada. Fuchsia@telus.net

The breast cancer experiences of Punjabi immigrant women, who represent the most populace group of South Asians in Canada, need to be understood in order to inform culturally appropriate cancer services. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore women's stories of breast cancer in order to uncover how they made sense of their experiences. Interviews with twelve Punjabi immigrant women who had breast cancer within the last 8 years were available for this study. The four storylines that emerged from the ethnographic narrative analysis were: getting through a family crisis, dealing with just another health problem, living with never-ending fear and suffering, and learning a "lesson from God." A minor theme, "being part of a close-knit family," highlighted the family context as the most pronounced influence on the women's experiences. These findings provide valuable insights into how women's experiences of breast cancer were shaped by the intersections of culture, family, community, cancer treatments, and interactions with health care professionals.

Published 8 August 2007 in J Immigr Minor Health, 9(4): 269-79.
Full-text of this article is available online (may require subscription).

© 2004-2008 Breast Cancer Research Today. All Rights Reserved.