PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Chris Jenkins
AU  - Tran Thu Ngan
AU  - Nguyen Bao Ngoc
AU  - Ho Thi Hien
AU  - Nguyen Hoang Anh
AU  - Lynne Lohfeld
AU  - Michael Donnelly
AU  - Hoang Van Minh
AU  - Liam Murray
TI  - Experiences of accessing and using breast cancer services in Vietnam: a descriptive qualitative study
AID  - 10.1136/bmjopen-2019-035173
DP  - 2020 Mar 01
TA  - BMJ Open
PG  - e035173
VI  - 10
IP  - 3
4099  - http://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/10/3/e035173.short
4100  - http://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/10/3/e035173.full
SO  - BMJ Open2020 Mar 01; 10
AB  - Objectives To understand, describe and analyse the experiences of women with breast cancer in Vietnam when accessing and using breast cancer services.Design Descriptive qualitative study. Women were interviewed about their experiences from the first time they became aware of symptoms or changes to their body through treatment and post-treatment. This study is the first descriptive study on breast cancer in Vietnam from the perspective of women with a breast cancer diagnosis.Participants Women (n=13) who had completed or were still receiving treatment for breast cancer, purposively recruited from the north and south of Vietnam.Results An analysis of the experiences of women with breast cancer in Vietnam revealed a lack of awareness and knowledge about breast cancer and symptoms. Family and social support were described as key factors influencing whether a woman accesses and uses breast cancer services. Cost of treatment and out-of-pocket expenditures limited access to services and resulted in significant financial challenges for women and their families.Conclusions Vietnam has made huge strides in improving cancer care, and is tackling a complex and expanding public health challenge, however, there are a number of areas requiring strengthening and future research. While Vietnam has successfully expanded social health insurance coverage, changes that increase the percentage of costs covered for specific treatments, such as chemotherapy or radiotherapy, could benefit women and their families.