摘要：Since March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused offloading and changes in treatment plans for many patients, including individuals suffering from breast cancer. These complications add to the stress of the disease itself and may contribute to deteriorating the patients’ mental health. The main purpose of this qualitative study was to document the experiences of patients who received a diagnosis or treatment for breast cancer during the pandemic. We also aimed to collect strategies to enhance the patients’ experience within the healthcare system. Method: Eighteen patients identifying as women (M = 47.05 years, SD = 9.07) participated in a semi-structured interview. The verbatims were analyzed by two qualified graduate students using both inductive and deductive approaches. Results: Descriptive analyses provided a thematic guide with self-explanatory themes: COVID experience; diagnosis-treatment experience; COVID-related delays/ modality changes in healthcare services; integration of patients’ needs to care and support. Strategies to improve patients’ experience were suggested including offering psychological services to all patients regardless of whether they show signs of distress or not (n = 18) and allowing for the patient to be accompanied at the time of diagnosis and for the first chemotherapy/radiotherapy session (n = 16). Conclusions: These results provide a better understanding of the impact that the pandemic has on individuals who also have to deal with a very stressful life event, that is a breast cancer diagnosis and/or treatments. Moreover, the proposed strategies reflect the patients’ needs and could be applied in order to improve the mental health of individuals diagnosed with breast cancer.
