Women Diagnosed with Advanced Cancer of the Cervix: Coping with the Disease and Treatment

Abstract

Introduction: Cervical cancer is an important public health problem in the world. Its diagnosis and treatment can generate stress, leading women to develop coping strategies. Objective: Understanding how women with diagnosis of advanced cervical cancer cope with the disease and treatment. Method: Field study, descriptive with an approach of qualitative analysis. An individual interview was done, using a semi-structured questionnaire, for the characterization of the individuals, followed by open questions related to the experience of women with the diagnosis and treatment of cervical cancer. Data analysis was done according to presuppositions of the Content Analysis and as a reference for the interpretation and discussion, literature on coping was used. Results: Twelve women with ages varying from 39 to 75 years old were interviewed, in the period from April to May 2009. The theme category that emerged from the interviews was called “Coping with the disease and treatment”. The coping strategies were the search for medical assistance, treatment compliance, faith and family help. Conclusion: The coping strategies developed by women with cancer are directly related to prevention and treatment success. These are influenced by individual beliefs based on experiences before the disease. Education in health is responsible for a better perception and understanding of the disease, in this way generating coping strategies with positive results and increased treatment compliance.