Learning from Memorable Messages during the Cancer Trajectory

Introduction: People receive numerous messages, yet only some are remembered for an extended period. These memorable messages offer guidance on navigating crises and can exert a profound subjective influence on a recipient’s life course, identity, and behaviors. However, their meaning and value are often negotiated between the sender and the recipient, and may evolve over time.

Goals and Methods: To explore learning from memorable messages by breast cancer patients. The biographical research was conducted in Poland and Croatia in cooperation with research team from Zagreb. Life stories were collected through in-depth interviews and lifelines involving 24 breast cancer patients undergoing treatment. The data were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis, supported by MAXQDA software to ensure a rigorous process.

Results: Breast cancer patients face with many memorable messages from which they learn. These messages provide knowledge consistent with the biopsychosocial model of health, fostering self-care, empowerment, and decision-making. While some messages are perceived as indisputable, others are contradictory, forcing patients to choose between them. These messages take the form of advice, tips, recommendations, warnings, or stories. Their senders are most frequently physicians and, less often, other specialists, fellow patients and their relatives, or the media. Notably, some messages intended as educational and sent by other patients are assessed by study participants as harmful or oppressive. Furthermore, the absence of an expected message can itself become a memorable message. The need for knowledge is most acute immediately following cancer diagnosis and before subsequent treatment stages. Although this need gradually decreases during the illness trajectory, it remains significant throughout and even after the completion of treatment.

Conclusions: This study highlights the importance of developing a systematic network for providing adequate educational messages. Such health education should be patient-centered and learner-centered, taking into account the specific needs, capabilities, and limitations of the individuals involved.