Peer-reviewedCC BY-NCMedicine1 Oct 2026

Mapping the symptom management journey across the treatment cycle for breast cancer patients: A qualitative study.

WenQian Shao¹
JingPing Qian²
WeiMin Xu¹
Xiao Chen¹

¹Department of Thyroid and Breast Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China.
²Health Education and Health Promotion Office, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China.

Abstract

The aim of this study is to identify the multidimensional needs of breast cancer patients in symptom management using a patient journey map, providing an evidence-based foundation for optimizing nursing interventions. This descriptive qualitative study recruited 15 breast cancer patients from a tertiary hospital in Hefei for semi-structured interviews between January and August 2024. Data were analyzed using Colaizzi's 7-step method to construct a comprehensive journey map. The symptom management journey comprised 3 phases: screening and diagnosis, the perioperative period, and the ongoing treatment phase. Twenty-two themes were categorized into tasks, emotions, and pain points. Tasks included symptom detection and rehabilitation; emotions encompassed generalized anxiety and stigma; and pain points highlighted barriers like symptom misinterpretation and the risk of loss to follow-up. The map visually illustrated the dynamic evolution of patient needs. The findings highlight distinct stage-specific patterns in patients' needs and barriers during symptom management. The patient journey map serves as a structured framework for identifying key intervention nodes and supporting more targeted, stage-oriented nursing care.

"It's Like a Marathon": A Qualitative Study of Symptom Burden and Adaptation Among Patients with Oxaliplatin-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy During Treatment.
Yi Zhang, Jing Han, Wen Gong +1
Current oncology (Toronto, Ont.)14 Oct 2026Peer-reviewedCC BYFull textOncologyEurope PMC
Patients' experience of using online interventions for the management of late effects following completion of cancer treatment-protocol for a qualitative systematic review.
Ashleigh Ward, Ramsay Lochhead Devaraj, Kate Law +4
Systematic reviews1 Jul 2026Peer-reviewedCC BYFull textOncologyEurope PMCDOAJ
Barriers and facilitators to self-management among patients with breast cancer receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy: A qualitative study informed by the integrated theory of health behavior change
Yanling Jiang, Chaixiu Li, Yinhuan Wang +3
Asia-Pacific Journal of Oncology Nursing20 Sep 2026Peer-reviewedCC BY-NC-NDFull textGeneral medicineEurope PMC
Development and Feasibility Evaluation of a Nurse-Led ePRO System for Home-Based Post-Chemotherapy Symptom Management in Patients With Cancer.
Chiao-Chi Kuan, Jhe-Cyuan Guo, Shan-Hsiang Shen +4
Cancer medicine1 Oct 2026Peer-reviewedCC BY-NCFull textOncologyEurope PMC
Symptom Management Following Radioactive Iodine Treatment in Adults With Thyroid Cancer: Usability Evaluation and Proof-of-Concept Study
Alaina Carr, Angela M Jenkins, Valeria Gómez +7
JMIR Cancer13 Oct 2026Peer-reviewedCC BY 4.0Full textOncologyPMC

Cite

BibTeX RIS

BibTeX

@article{shao2026mapping,
  title = {{Mapping the symptom management journey across the treatment cycle for breast cancer patients: A qualitative study.}},
  author = {WenQian Shao and JingPing Qian and WeiMin Xu and Xiao Chen},
  journal = {Medicine},
  year = {2026},
  month = oct,
  doi = {10.1097/md.0000000000049504},
  url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42888620},
  note = {CC BY-NC},
}

RIS

TY  - JOUR
TI  - Mapping the symptom management journey across the treatment cycle for breast cancer patients: A qualitative study.
AU  - WenQian Shao
AU  - JingPing Qian
AU  - WeiMin Xu
AU  - Xiao Chen
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/01
JO  - Medicine
DO  - 10.1097/md.0000000000049504
UR  - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42888620
AB  - The aim of this study is to identify the multidimensional needs of breast cancer patients in symptom management using a patient journey map, providing an evidence-based foundation for optimizing nursing interventions. This descriptive qualitative study recruited 15 breast cancer patients from a tertiary hospital in Hefei for semi-structured interviews between January and August 2024. Data were analyzed using Colaizzi's 7-step method to construct a comprehensive journey map. The symptom management journey comprised 3 phases: screening and diagnosis, the perioperative period, and the ongoing treatment phase. Twenty-two themes were categorized into tasks, emotions, and pain points. Tasks included symptom detection and rehabilitation; emotions encompassed generalized anxiety and stigma; and pain points highlighted barriers like symptom misinterpretation and the risk of loss to follow-up. The map visually illustrated the dynamic evolution of patient needs. The findings highlight distinct stage-specific patterns in patients' needs and barriers during symptom management. The patient journey map serves as a structured framework for identifying key intervention nodes and supporting more targeted, stage-oriented nursing care.
SN  - 0304-5412
SN  - 1536-5964
ER  -

Abstract

Related

Cite