The Searching, Processing, and Sharing of Breast Cancer Information by Women Diagnosed with the Illness

Abstract

Most women diagnosed with breast cancer seek health-related information to cope with the demands of the illness. However, few studies have documented how women actually seek, process, and share cancer-related information. This qualitative study explores the process of managing cancer-related information from the perspective of 12 women with breast cancer. Three core components of information management (IM) emerged from the data: initial cancer-related informational triggers, emotional and behavioural reactions to the information, and the IM outcomes of feeling relieved, hopeful, supported, or distressed. According to the participants, IM is an ongoing process in which the choice to continue sharing cancer-related information with individuals depends on women's perceptions of how supportive they have been.