Breast cancer is a debilitating disease with severe physical, psychological, social, and financial consequences. A phenomenological approach was used in this study to investigate the lived experience of twenty-one (21) breast cancer survivors who were purposefully chosen until saturation was reached. Tesch's data analysis method was employed. The participants' ages ranged from 30 to 70 years old, with the majority (16 out of 21; 76.2%) diagnosed within the previous two years and many describing the treatment experience as unpleasant and painful, with numerous side effects including nausea, insomnia, sore throat, and hair loss. The majority of participants (16 of 21; 76.2%) reported financial hardship as a result of treatment costs. The disease's socioeconomic impact includes poor human relations, negative perceptions of breast cancer diagnosis, poor sociocultural roles, and negative effects on patients' livelihood. Breast cancer counseling should be expanded, government and other stakeholders should also consider subsidized breast cancer management.
Keywords: Breast cancer survivors; coping strategies; lived experience; quality of life.