Understanding the Unique Experiences of Undocumented, Hispanic Women Who are Living in Poverty and Coping with Breast Cancer

Abstract

Understanding the experiences of recently immigrated women with breast cancer is essential to improving service delivery for this population. This qualitative study identified and explored the barriers to care, coping mechanisms, and overall healthcare experiences of a four recently immigrated Hispanic women diagnosed with breast cancer (three of whom were undocumented). The analysis revealed five major themes that were present across all four participants: psychological distress, barriers to access to care, the impact of poverty, the importance of family and support systems, and the importance of spirituality or religiosity as a coping mechanism.

KEYWORDS:

• breast cancer
• Hispanic
• psychosocial
• coping
• health