Distress, Pain, and Coping Strategies in Patients Undergoing Breast-Conserving Surgery: A Scoping Literature Review.

Problem identification: Most patients with breast cancer are diagnosed at an early stage, when surgery remains the primary treatment. This scoping literature review explores the frequency and severity of symptoms; which patients are at the highest risk for pain, nausea, and distress; and the relationships between coping strategies and these symptoms.

Literature review: This review included articles found in the MEDLINE®, CINAHL®, PubMed®, PsycINFO®, APA PsycArticles®, and Cochrane Library databases and published from 2010 through 2022, using combinations of the following keywords: coping, cancer, distress, surgery, and breast.

Data evaluation: Initial search results yielded 111 research articles, and 13 were included in the review. Extracted data included the purpose, study design, sample size, time point, instrument, and conclusion.

Synthesis: Nausea, pain, and distress are substantial problems for women following breast cancer surgery. The relationships among predictors, pain, nausea, and distress are clear, but the direction and strength of these relationships remain unknown. A better understanding of the relationships among these factors is important to improve the experience of women with breast cancer.

Implications for research: Nursing research should focus on developing targeted interventions to reduce these symptoms.