Women’s initial reactions to getting a breast cancer diagnosis

Being diagnosed with a serious illness can be overwhelming, and reactions are different from person to person. Here women discuss the impact of being diagnosed with breast cancer.

Most women felt shocked and upset when they were told they had breast cancer. Some described how they switched off and dissociated themselves from the news. One woman described her sense of disbelief and denial as she already had other illnesses to cope with. Another recalled the feelings and questions she had at the time.

Describes switching off from the news of her diagnosis.

Age at interview 57

Gender Female

Age at diagnosis 54

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Describes her disbelief on hearing that she had cancer.

Age at interview 59

Gender Female

Age at diagnosis 56

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Describes her thoughts and feelings when diagnosed with cancer.

Age at interview 19

Gender Female

Age at diagnosis 18

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Some women described feeling angry at the diagnosis and timing of it. One of these women, who was interviewed two weeks after being diagnosed, recalled feeling anger as well as a sense of bereavement. Other women felt alone, isolated or lonely. Some said they did not want to talk to other people at this time.

Describes her disbelief, her sense of loss and her gradual acceptance of her diagnosis.

Age at interview 73

Gender Female

Age at diagnosis 73

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One woman, who was diagnosed at the age of thirty, described bottling up her feelings and anxieties about her young children. Concern for children was mentioned by several women, as well as concern for other family members.

Describes bottling up her feelings and fears about not living to see her children grow up.

Age at interview 49

Gender Female

Age at diagnosis 30

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Two women described coping very much alone and one of them said she told very few people. Another found her family’s reaction difficult to cope with (see How breast cancer in women affects families).

Explains that she did not tell many people about her diagnosis.

Age at interview 75

Gender Female

Age at diagnosis 68

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Some women discussed dealing with the reactions of others, including pity, distance and unease. A few said they felt left behind while other people were progressing with their lives.

Describes how some people avoided her because they didn’t know how to talk about her illness with…

Age at interview 42

Gender Female

Age at diagnosis 32

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Fear was another common feeling. Other women said they’d felt depressed. One woman described feeling empty, and another recalled switching off from her feelings completely and relying on her faith.

Describes feelings of isolation and fear about what the future held.

Age at interview 47

Gender Female

Age at diagnosis 44

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Describes becoming depressed as she realised she could never get back to how she was before her…

Age at interview 43

Gender Female

Age at diagnosis 43

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Comments that she switched off from her feelings and relied on her faith.

Age at interview 70

Gender Female

Age at diagnosis 60

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Several women did not feel shock at the news of their diagnosis. One explained how she wanted to talk about her illness with all her friends, and commented that she did not feel the shock that she had been led to expect at the news of her diagnosis. Some women said that they expected the news of their diagnosis and treated their illness as a “hiccup”.

Explains that she did not feel shock when diagnosed but wanted to talk to people she knew.

Age at interview 47

Gender Female

Age at diagnosis 43

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Explains that she expected the news of her diagnosis and treated the illness as a minor…

Age at interview 45

Gender Female

Age at diagnosis 44

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A few women continued “on autopilot” while things happened quickly from diagnosis to treatment. Several described how it felt peculiar to know that they had cancer but not to feel unwell. Maintaining a positive attitude helped some cope, while others talked about fighting their illness without allowing it to control their lives. Some women also talked about the fears and myths associated with cancer. One woman described how she saw her illness as a minor interruption that, these days, is much easier to deal with than many other conditions.

Explains why, aged 70, she saw her cancer diagnosis more as a nuisance than a disaster.

Age at interview 70

Gender Female

Age at diagnosis 70

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