Surviving cancer, managing the heart: awareness of potential cardiovascular toxicity and barriers to cardiovascular self-management among women with breast cancer: A qualitative descriptive study

Objective This study aimed to explore how women with breast cancer perceived potential cardiovascular toxicity and engaged in self-management to support their cardiovascular health, monitor for symptoms, and adhere to clinical surveillance. Methods A qualitative descriptive design was employed. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a purposively selected sample of 12 women with breast cancer. The interviews were audio-recorded with the participants' consent and transcribed verbatim. NVivo 12 was used to organise the data, which were analysed using inductive thematic analysis to develop themes and subthemes. Results The study included 12 women aged 40–74 years. Participants reported multiple challenges in recognising and understanding potential cardiovascular toxicity, possible cardiovascular symptoms, and other treatment-related symptoms. Four themes and nine subthemes were identified: (1) overwhelming physical and functional burden of treatment; (2) fragmented knowledge and awareness of potential cardiovascular toxicity; (3) healthcare communication gaps and unmet informational needs; and (4) psychosocial and systemic barriers to overall well-being and health management. Conclusions The participants faced substantial barriers to understanding and monitoring for potential cardiovascular toxicity. These challenges highlight the need for the future development and evaluation of more proactive, patient-centred interventions. Proposed strategies, such as tailored education, symptom-reporting tools, and structured follow-up models, require future research to determine their effectiveness.