Abstract
Objective: To describe the experiences of comfort and discomfort in women who underwent brachytherapy for the treatment of cervical cancer. Methods: Qualitative study carried out in 2013, based on Kolcaba comfort theory and conducted through semi-structured interviews with eight women who have completed treatment, at least, six months ago. Results: The following discomforts stood out: pain in the procedure and in the post-treatment effects, in the physical context; fear of the unknown and suffering; lack of a companion; stress due to embarrassment during treatment; low self-esteem; and post-therapy psychological trauma, in the psycho-spiritual context. Comfort measures consisted in dialogue with the professional, medication management and use of faith and spirituality. Conclusion: The results provide support for the practice of health professionals in relation to comfort and discomfort that deserve to be the target of intervention in terms of the assistance to women with cancer.
Highlights
Considered a problem from the public health perspective, cervical cancer (CC) is a major cause of female mortality
The results provide support for the practice of health professionals in relation to comfort and discomfort that deserve to be the target of intervention in terms of the assistance to women with cancer
This study aims to describe the experiences of comfort and discomfort of women who underwent brachytherapy for cervical cancer treatment
Summary
Considered a problem from the public health perspective, cervical cancer (CC) is a major cause of female mortality. It is the second most common cancer among women, with an estimated 15,000 cases for the years 2014/20151. Failure to realize the significance of these changes may result in losses in terms of adapting to treatment and even in improving the health condition of women. This fact requires attention from health professionals regarding the physical, emotional and socio-cultural aspects in a therapeutic process that aims at holistic assistance[5], in which they take care of women with CC, not just the cancer
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