Shixiang Luo

Hainan Vocational University of Science and Technology

Abstract：

Objective From the perspective of interpretative phenomenology, this study explores the essential meaning, generative logic, and contextual characteristics of the support needs of breast cancer survivors during their return-to-work process, providing a theoretical basis for constructing a support system aligned with lived patient experience. Method Using an interpretative phenomenological approach, sixteen postoperative breast cancer survivors who had returned to work at least three months after surgery were recruited from a tertiary hospital in Haikou between January and December 2024. Semi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted. Data were analyzed using the Giorgi phenomenological method in combination with Nvivo 11.0 software, focusing on the participants’ lived experiences within the “illness–work” interaction. Result The core of support needs was identified as “multidimensional and dynamic adaptive needs.” Its essence lies in the survivor’s continuous pursuit of existential adaptability while reconstructing the dual life-world of “illness and work,” manifesting a three-stage transformation of bodily perception → social interaction → self-identity. Five major sources of support were identified—medical systems, employers and workplaces, colleagues and social networks, families and intimate relationships, and psychological professionals—comprising ten themes and twenty-three subthemes. All reflected a unity between “objective forms of support” and “subjective meaning attribution.” Conclusion Support needs among breast cancer survivors are stage-specific and context-dependent. From a phenomenological “understanding–interpretation” perspective, it is essential to develop a responsive and dynamic support system that addresses both physiological recovery and social role reconstruction.

Key Words：

breast cancer; postoperative rehabilitation; return to work; support needs; interpretative phenomenology; lived experience