Table 2 Example quotations illustrating participant expectations of BCT

Experience of Cancer Care

“So I’m expecting them to say that it’s good to go and hopefully…get the process started with the radiation, and I don’t know how quickly that moves along.” (6 weeks postoperative, Age 65)

Recovery; Surgery

“I was instructed, the more you move, the better—of course, within reason. And that’s what I did. And I had complete range of motion within a couple days.” (13 months postoperative, Age 59)

Recovery; Radiation

“Well, radiation—actually, this was my first time. I had no expectation.” (6 months postoperative, Age 57)

Recovery; Radiation

“I think that it leaves a burn mark. On my sister it was a burn patch. You could see that it was burnt. So I’m expecting that.” (Preoperative, Age 53)

Appearance; Breast Appearance

“I’m not sure what to expect. It didn’t sound too invasive. And the tumor itself is not that big. So I don’t know.” (Preoperative, Age 49).

Appearance; Breast Appearance

“I was concerned, yes. I was concerned about it because I like my [breasts], honest, I do, and that I was going to be slightly disfigured or it was going to be a big difference in size.” (6 months postoperative, Age 46).

HR-QOL; Psychosocial Well-being

“[My] social and work life are very much connected, so I don’t think it impacts anything else, other than the people. They’re a little bit more concerned now than they were before, and the same holds for me.” (Preoperative, Age 49)

HR-QOL; Sexual Well-being

“This is cancer. I’ll deal with that after I get well. [Hormone therapy] gives you menopause. But I was already sort of going through menopause. So…it was the last thing on my mind, actually.” (13 months postoperative, Age 53)