Women's Lived Experiences in the Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine for Breast Cancer Management: A Phenomenological Study

Abstract

This study aimed to explore women with breast cancer (WBC) lived experiences on the use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) for breast cancer management. van Manen's phenomenology of practice was used as the methodology and method in this study. In-depth interviews guided by semi-structured questions were conducted with 21 WBC recruited using convenience sampling. The thematic analysis generated four main themes: Access, affordability and support for medical treatment, beliefs in CAM treatment, feeling the potential benefits of CAM, and Acknowledging the negative aspects of CAM. The outcomes from using CAM based on the lived experiences of WBC indicated that some CAM treatments could improve quality of life. However, some fraudulent CAM obtained from unprofessional CAM providers could cause harmful effects, delay medical cancer treatment, and increase breast cancer treatment costs. Therefore, there is an urgent need to enhance the awareness of appropriate treatment, including evidence-based CAM, for WBC. Improved understanding in the use of CAM as a part of quality breast cancer care services could contribute to increasing the quality of life and survival rates of women with breast cancer.