A phenomenological study of surviving breast cancer following a bone marrow transplant

Abstract

The qualitative research methodology of phenomenology was used to explore the experience of surviving breast cancer following a bone marrow transplant. Three women who had undergone a bone marrow transplant for breast cancer were interviewed using an open-ended question. The interviews were audiotape recorded. The interviews were analyzed using an adaptation of Colaizzi's eight step procedure. Eight theme categories were identified: Coming to Know You Have Breast Cancer, Going to War, The Core of Survival, Knowing Myself, Control of Survival, Family Survival, Time Orientation, and Possibility of Death. An essential structure was derived from the data indicating that survival of breast cancer following bone marrow transplant is three dimensional. The dimensions include a perspective of the survival experienced in the past intertwined with daily survival and a future perspective.