Experiences of Treatment-Related Side Effects and Supportive Care with Korean Medicine in Women with Breast Cancer - A Focus Group Study

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: In some countries, clinical practice guidelines have included acupuncture as supportive care for breast cancer survivors (BCS). This study aimed to explore experiences of treatment-related side effects and supportive care among Korean BCS. METHOD(S): Focus group interview was conducted with six Korean women with breast cancer at stage l-lll. Participants were recruited through snowballing. Interview was audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. NVivo-11 was used to code the data into themes. RESULT(S): Two major themes were identified: (1) experiences of the Western-medicine, including side effects, communication with doctors, and costs; (2) experiences of Korean-medicine, including the same as above. Participants had mean age of48.7 (SD 6.8) years and had survived for 1-7 years without recurrence. All participants experienced Western-medicine in treatment phase and reported impairment of physical, emotional, and social functioning during and after Western-medicine treatment. Korean-medicine was used after treatments ended. The negative responses from Western-medicine doctors were the most important factor keeping participants from accessing Korean-medicine when treatment-related side effects occurred. For this reason, some participants used Korean-medicine without disclosure. Participants usually acquired information about Korean-medicine from online community or other BCS, which was another important factor because it raised concerns about side effects and credibility of Korean-medicine. High cost of Korean-medicine was also reported as barrier in using Korean-medicine. When getting the cancer treatment, participants tended to endure their treatment-related side effects rather than to resolve them or express needs. Needs of information about effective and economical supportive care were identified. CONCLUSION(S): Korean BCS may be at risk of greater physical or emotional distress during treatment period. Findings suggest that there is a high need for supportive care to relieve treatment-related side effects and improve patients' quality-of-life. Furthermore, developing a systematic guidance or credible information sources is warranted to help patients find the best supportive care options.