Religion and spirituality: their role in the psychosocial adjustment to breast cancer and subsequent symptom management of adjuvant endocrine therapy

Abstract

Purpose: Distress from being diagnosed with breast cancer can impact a woman's decision to continue taking adjuvant endocrine therapy (AET). The purpose of this study is to explore how religion and/or spirituality influence women's psychosocial adjustment to breast cancer and subsequent symptom management among women on active AET.

Methods: Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with breast cancer survivors (n = 19) from California and Texas. Interview questions prompted discussion about AET and how women adjusted to a breast cancer diagnosis and treatment with AET. Interview transcripts were analyzed with a deductive grounded theory approach, and an inductive constant comparison approach was used to identify the sources of religion and spirituality.

Results: Religion supported women in their psychosocial adjustment to breast cancer by offering them a sense of purpose and meaning in life. It helped women make sense of their AET treatment as they persisted with it despite experiencing adverse side-effects. Spirituality played a prominent role in women's mental and physical wellbeing by facilitating positive and calm attitudes, which lessened women's fear during their cancer diagnosis and treatment.

Conclusion: We identified that religion and/or spirituality helps women with their adjustment to breast cancer and influences their continued use and management of side-effects from AET.

Implications for breast cancer survivors: This study illustrates the importance of developing meaning-centered interventions that harness religion and spirituality to help women cope with AET. Our findings support the development of interventions that work to enhance AET persistence among breast cancer survivors.

Keywords: Adjuvant endocrine therapy; Breast cancer; Psychosocial adjustment; Religion; Spirituality.