Breast cancer survivors’ needs for appearance care: a qualitative study

Abstract Breast cancer (BC) remains the most common malignancy among women globally. BC survivorship can span a long period of time, with various life events occurring while living with BC. The appearance-related needs of BC survivors that emerge from their lived experiences in everyday life have not yet been thoroughly examined. The aim of this research was to identify the appearance-care needs of BC survivors based on their lived experiences. This study had a qualitative descriptive design. BC survivors were recruited by convenience sampling and participated in semi-structured interviews from June to October 2024. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis within a social constructivist framework. Fourteen female BC survivors participated in the interviews. Based on the interview data, the following four categories were generated with respect to their appearance-care needs: “Information Provision,” “Products to Compensate for Changes in Appearance,” “Psychological Support,” and “Expansion of Social Care Opportunities.” Barriers and gaps between survivors’ perspectives and product development in meeting the needs of the survivors were identified. In addition, expectations for expanded social care opportunities to bridge the gaps were identified as a new perspective. It was also found that, in health care settings, understanding survivors’ feelings of stigma and ambivalence and providing appropriate support is extremely important. In addition, the significance of survivors themselves contributing to the development of appearance-care products was newly clarified. It was suggested that there is a need for a system in which the opinions of people with relevant lived experiences are more readily received in the industrial and cosmetology fields. The issue of appearance can also be a financially burdensome issue. Therefore, governmental involvement is essential. Collaborative research between industry and government needs to be promoted not only in the area of health care but also across disciplines.