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Supportive Care in Cancer
Published in: Supportive Care in Cancer 11/2016

Open Access 01-11-2016 | Original Article

Qualitative assessment of information and decision support needs for managing menopausal symptoms after breast cancer

Authors: Lynda G. Balneaves, Dimitra Panagiotoglou, Alison S. A. Brazier, Leah K. Lambert, Antony Porcino, Margaret Forbes, Cheri Van Patten, Tracy L. O. Truant, Dugald Seely, Dawn Stacey

Published in: Supportive Care in Cancer | Issue 11/2016

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Abstract

Purpose

For breast cancer (BrCa) survivors, premature menopause can result from conventional cancer treatment. Due to limited treatment options, survivors often turn to complementary therapies (CTs), but struggle to make informed decisions. In this study, we identified BrCa survivors’ CT and general information and decision-making needs related to menopausal symptoms.

Methods

The needs assessment was informed by interpretive descriptive methodology. Focus groups with survivors (n = 22) and interviews with conventional (n = 12) and CT (n = 5) healthcare professionals (HCPs) were conducted at two Canadian urban cancer centers. Thematic, inductive analysis was conducted on the data.

Results

Menopausal symptoms have significant negative impact on BrCa survivors. Close to 70 % of the sample were currently using CTs, including mind-body therapies (45.5 %), natural health products (NHPs) and dietary therapies (31.8 %), and lifestyle interventions (36.4 %). However, BrCa survivors reported inadequate access to information on the safety and efficacy of CT options. Survivors also struggled in their efforts to discuss CT with HCPs, who had limited time and information to support women in their CT decisions. Concise and credible information about CTs was required by BrCa survivors to support them in making informed and safe decisions about using CTs for menopausal symptom management.

Conclusions

High quality research is needed on the efficacy and safety of CTs in managing menopausal symptoms following BrCa treatment. Decision support strategies, such as patient decision aids (DAs), may help synthesize and translate evidence on CTs and promote shared decision-making between BrCa survivors and HCPs about the role of CTs in coping with menopause following cancer treatment.
Footnotes
1
*CAMEO (Complementary Medicine Education and Outcomes) is a research program that studies the CT decision support needs of people living with cancer, their support persons, and HCPs, and develops programs and resources to help address those needs. CAMEO offers the latest CT research to the conventional cancer care setting through education courses and lectures, published documents, and individualized information and decision support consultations.
 
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Metadata
Title
Qualitative assessment of information and decision support needs for managing menopausal symptoms after breast cancer
Authors
Lynda G. Balneaves
Dimitra Panagiotoglou
Alison S. A. Brazier
Leah K. Lambert
Antony Porcino
Margaret Forbes
Cheri Van Patten
Tracy L. O. Truant
Dugald Seely
Dawn Stacey
Publication date
01-11-2016
Publisher
Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in
Supportive Care in Cancer / Issue 11/2016
Print ISSN: 0941-4355
Electronic ISSN: 1433-7339
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-016-3296-x

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