Bedilu Deribe and Sailaja Busi
1.1 Introduction: Breast cancer is the top cancer in women both in the developed and the developing world. The incidence of breast cancer is increasing in the developing world due to increase life expectancy, increase urbanization and adoption of western lifestyles. Therefore, early detection in order to improve breast cancer outcome and survival remains the cornerstone of breast cancer control. 1.2 Objective: The main intention of this study is to determine the symptom experiences and functional status among women diagnosed with breast cancer and receiving chemotherapy treatment. 1.3 Methodology: The study was conducted by using descriptive study design in Hawassa Referral health facilities from Mar/2017 to May/2017. Before data collection ethical clearance letter was obtained from Hawassa University institutional review board office. Purposive sampling technique was used to collecte the data. Data collection was done using structured questionnaire including patient information, symptom experience questionnaire and EGOC functional status Questionnaire were used. The analysis were made by using SPSS version 20.0. 1.4 Results: Majority of the respondents 56 (37.3%) were in the age group of 31-40 years followed by 40(26.7%) are identified in the age group of more than 51years. With regard to religion, majority of the respondents 66(44%) are Orthodox and 53(35.3%) of respondents belongs to Oromo in their ethnicity. Focusing on the duration of the illness, majority of the respondents 108(72%) are diagnosed within last 4 years and 98(65.3%) of the women has surgery for their breast and receiving chemotherapy. Almost all, 146(97.3%) of the respondents have care giver and 132(88%) of the respondents are identified with presence of additional illness like DVT, DM preumonia, etc nealrl third, 55(36%) were asymptomatic. with regard to their functional status 46(30.7%) of the respondents were symptomatic but completely ambulatory followed. 1.5 Conclusion: Women with breast cancer experience different variety of symptoms as a result of their diagnosis of disease, or treatment or as an effect of their treatment. Symptom experiencing is very stressful to the patient as well as family and care givers.
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