Understanding the choices made by working women with breast cancer.
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Understanding the choices made by professional working women with breast cancer around treatment and employment.
IRAS ID
188514
Contact name
Sara MacLennan
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Dundee
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 9 months, 16 days
Research summary
Background: There is a lack of research which critically examines the challenges associated with the interplay between work engagement (wanting to work, being able to work and working) and treatment in working women diagnosed with breast cancer. The proposed research focuses on professional women who were working at the time of their cancer diagnosis.
The primary aim of this study is to develop a detailed pathway of the key decisions that professional working women make about treatment, care after treatment and work engagement following a diagnosis of breast cancer. This study will explore where and how these key decisions are made from pre-diagnosis through treatment to care after treatment; what challenges women face at different points across the cancer journey; and how these had an impact of decisions about working during and after treatment. This study will also explore the current provision of information and advice given to working women with breast cancer regarding their employment, treatment, and care after treatment, and will consider what might be done to improve the information, support and advice provided to working women with breast cancer in the future.
Methods: In-depth (qualitative) interviews will be conducted with 10-15 professional working women with breast cancer in the northeast of Scotland and will take a narrative (phenomenological) perspective. An interview schedule will be used flexibly during the interviews to allow participants to raise topics pertinent to their own journey.
Analysis: Interview transcripts will be analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) with a particular focus on the role of participants’ narratives.
Potential Implications: This study will enable those involved in the treatment and care after treatment of those with breast cancer to better tailor the information and support that is given to working women with breast cancer to facilitate more appropriate decision making in relation to their engagement with work.
REC name
East of Scotland Research Ethics Service REC 1
REC reference
15/ES/0177
Date of REC Opinion
11 Nov 2015
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion