乳幼児をもつがんサバイバーである母親ががん診断後に抱える困難

Difficulties Experienced by Mothers Who Survived Cancer Survivors Diagnosed while Raising Infants

要旨

　目的：本研究では，乳幼児をもつがんサバイバーである母親ががん診断後に抱える困難を明らかにすることを目的とした．

　方法：出産後にがんの診断を受け，乳幼児期の子どもを育てることを経験した母親5名を対象に半構成的面接を実施した．データは，質的に分析した．

　結果：【子どもを残して死ぬ恐怖があり，生きる希望が持てない】【不確かで長い治療がつらい】【治療と子育ての両立にせっぱつまる】【無理をせざるをえず，その人にとってのあたりまえの生活ができない】【がんを受容しきれずにもどかしい】【がんにより子どもと家族を巻き込むことがつらい】【頼れる資源や情報が不足している】【経験者に出会えずにつらさを共有できない】【治療と生活が重なる経済的負担がある】という9つのカテゴリーが抽出された．

　結論：母親は，子どもと共に生きる希望がもてず，治療と子育ての両立にせっぱつまる等の困難を抱えていた．母親には，治療と子育ての両立支援や母親同士の支え合いが重要と示唆された．

　Purpose: The purpose of this study was to analyze the difficulties experienced bymothers with infants who survived cancer. In this study, mothers who survived cancer were diagnosed while raising infants and had completed the primary treatment.

　Methods: The study was conducted with five mothers who were diagnosed with cancer after childbirth, and survived the disease after completing primary treatment and whilst raising their infants. Data were gathered through semi-structured interviews and analyzed qualitatively.

　Results: The following nine categories were determined: (1) loss of hope caused by fear of dying and leaving their children, (2) uncertainty and long-term treatment is painful, (3) difficulty balancing treatment and parenting, (4) loss of a normal life for that person, (5) frustration and inability to accept cancer, (6) difficulty involving children and family due to cancer, (7) lack of reliable resources and information, (8) the inability to share their pain without meeting experienced person, and (9) the economic burden where treatment and life overlap.

　Conclusion: Mothers, who survived cancer while raising infants, saw no hope of living to see their child grow up, and experienced difficulties such as coordinating treatment and parenting. Therefore, greater childcare support for these mothers is needed. The study suggested the importance of forming networks between mothers who survived cancer to enable mutual support and manage their situations better.