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Volume 19, Issue 2 (Iranian Journal of Breast Diseases 2026)
ijbd 2026, 19(2): 90-112 |
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Ethics code: IR.IUMS.REC.1402.140
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Alavi F S, Noori R, Nazarnia M, Shahrasbi M, Mansourian M, Saboohi Z. Patients' strategies for maintaining hope in the face of breast cancer: A qualitative study. ijbd 2026; 19 (2) :90-112
URL: http://ijbd.ir/article-1-1212-en.html
URL: http://ijbd.ir/article-1-1212-en.html
Fatemeh Sadat Alavi1 
, Roghayeh Noori1 , Mahsa Nazarnia2 , Mohammadreza Shahrasbi3 , Morteza Mansourian4 , Zahra Saboohi *5
, Roghayeh Noori1 , Mahsa Nazarnia2 , Mohammadreza Shahrasbi3 , Morteza Mansourian4 , Zahra Saboohi *5
1- Department of Health Education and Health Promotion, School of Public Health, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
2- Department of Health Education and Health Promotion, School of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
3- Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
4- Health Promotion Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
5- Department of Health Services, School of Public Health, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran ,saboohizahra2020@gmail.com
2- Department of Health Education and Health Promotion, School of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
3- Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
4- Health Promotion Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
5- Department of Health Services, School of Public Health, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran ,
Abstract: (713 Views)
Introduction: Hope, conceptualized by Snyder as a combination of agency and pathways toward goal attainment, plays a critical role in adaptation to breast cancer. Strategies used by patients to maintain hope, especially in non-Western cultural contexts, remain underexplored. This study aimed to examine hope-preserving strategies among Iranian women with breast cancer.
Methods: This qualitative study employed thematic content analysis based on Braun and Clarke’s approach. Twelve women with breast cancer were selected through purposive sampling with maximum variation from healthcare centers affiliated with Iran University of Medical Sciences during the period from October to December 2023. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews conducted in person or by phone and analyzed using MAXQDA 2020 software. Data collection continued until theoretical saturation was achieved.
Findings: Patients’ experiences of the treatment process were shaped by an interplay of supportive and challenging factors. Psychological, social, and spiritual support played a crucial role in reducing anxiety, enhancing hope, and promoting psychological adaptation. Active patient participation in the treatment process and lifestyle modification increased feelings of control and empowerment. Conversely, insufficient emotional support, lack of empathic communication, and fear of disease recurrence emerged as major challenges, highlighting the need for continuous supportive interventions.
Conclusion: Patients maintain hope in the face of cancer by utilizing multidimensional individual, social, and spiritual strategies. However, experiences such as fear of disease recurrence show that intervention design should also address negative challenges. Designing culturally-based supportive interventions, focusing on psychological empowerment and active patient participation, can lead to improved hope and quality of life for patients, especially when these interventions are based on the central role of the family, spiritual-religious beliefs, and communication patterns governing the Iranian health system, which can use the findings of this study as a practical basis for planning local interventions and decision-making by health policymakers.
Methods: This qualitative study employed thematic content analysis based on Braun and Clarke’s approach. Twelve women with breast cancer were selected through purposive sampling with maximum variation from healthcare centers affiliated with Iran University of Medical Sciences during the period from October to December 2023. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews conducted in person or by phone and analyzed using MAXQDA 2020 software. Data collection continued until theoretical saturation was achieved.
Findings: Patients’ experiences of the treatment process were shaped by an interplay of supportive and challenging factors. Psychological, social, and spiritual support played a crucial role in reducing anxiety, enhancing hope, and promoting psychological adaptation. Active patient participation in the treatment process and lifestyle modification increased feelings of control and empowerment. Conversely, insufficient emotional support, lack of empathic communication, and fear of disease recurrence emerged as major challenges, highlighting the need for continuous supportive interventions.
Conclusion: Patients maintain hope in the face of cancer by utilizing multidimensional individual, social, and spiritual strategies. However, experiences such as fear of disease recurrence show that intervention design should also address negative challenges. Designing culturally-based supportive interventions, focusing on psychological empowerment and active patient participation, can lead to improved hope and quality of life for patients, especially when these interventions are based on the central role of the family, spiritual-religious beliefs, and communication patterns governing the Iranian health system, which can use the findings of this study as a practical basis for planning local interventions and decision-making by health policymakers.
Type of Study: Research |
Subject:
Nutrition, psychology, sport
Received: 2025/10/18 | Accepted: 2026/02/4 | Published: 2026/07/26
Received: 2025/10/18 | Accepted: 2026/02/4 | Published: 2026/07/26
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