TITLE:
Living with Male Breast Cancer: Personal Experiences and Insights from Ghana
AUTHORS:
Joyce Nana-Amankwah, Jonathan Mensah Dapaah
KEYWORDS:
Male Breast Cancer, Experiences, Patient, Survivor, Ghana, Health Workers, Men
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Access Library Journal,
Vol.11 No.12,
December
18,
2024
ABSTRACT: Male breast cancer is a rare but severe disease that causes significant morbidity and mortality. The study aims to examine the experiences of men with male breast cancer (MBC) in Ghana. Through in-depth interviews, five (5) participants were purposively selected, using a qualitative approach. The data collected were analyzed using thematic analysis. This study found four themes in the experiences of male breast cancer patients and survivors; emotional experiences, clinical experiences, body image, and relationships with healthcare personnel. This study noted that the experiences of male breast cancer participants were subjective though there were some universal aspects shared among those affected with the illness, including positive and negative experiences. The study recommends that there should be more education and sensitization on male breast cancer. Due to subjective experiences, special attention should be paid to affected people’s social, emotional, physical, medical, and psychological needs to enable them to cope with the male breast cancer illness.