Hidden voices: an interpretative phenomenological analysis of the experience of surviving breast cancer in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Background

Women with breast cancer often have difficulties in making sense of and understanding their experiences, specifically the ways in which cultural sensitivities impact on and shape their lifeworlds.

Aims

The aim of this study is to explore the experience of being a breast cancer survivor in Saudi Arabia.

Methods

Qualitative, in-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 18 Saudi breast cancer survivors aged between 30 and 50 years who had finished treatment 6–47 months before data collection. The data were transcribed verbatim, translated from Arabic into English and analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis.

Results

Three themes emerged: the meaning of cancer; hidden survival; and the cultural meaning of survival. For women in Saudi, breast cancer has a cultural stigma linked to death. It changes the sense of self and of society, leading some women to hide their diagnosis from the public and their families. The meaning of survival in a Muslim context has a cultural and religious base, linked to God's will, normality and resumption of activities.

Conclusions

The study helps give Saudi women a ‘voice’ through the understanding of their experiences of surviving breast cancer. The unique cultural perspectives provide new insights, which can guide healthcare practice and inform the development of programmes to support women who survive breast cancer.