Identity transformation after breast cancer: A qualitative study informed by attention reorientation.

[PURPOSE] To explore patterned processes of identity transformation among Chinese women living with breast cancer.

[METHOD] An interpretive description qualitative study was conducted using in-depth narrative interviews with 18 Chinese women. Participants were recruited from multiple provinces across China through a tertiary oncology department and a survivor-led non-profit organization. Purposive and snowball sampling were used. Data were collected between June 2024 and March 2025 and analyzed using Braun and Clarke's reflexive thematic analysis (RTA).

[RESULTS] Four themes and twelve subthemes were identified, capturing women's experiences of identity transformation following breast cancer: Identity Fracture at Diagnosis, Awakening of the Inner Self, Active Reconstruction of Self, and Identity Integrating and Expanding. This process was characterized by a dynamic pattern of attention reorientation, shifting from habitual other-focused absorption shaped by caregiving expectations, to forced and intentional self-focused attention, and in some narratives, to a meaning-driven re-engagement with others.

[CONCLUSIONS] Breast cancer survivorship among Chinese women involves more than physical recovery. Women described ongoing processes of meaning reconstruction and identity realignment. Attention reorientation provides a culturally grounded explanation mechanism for understanding how women navigate identity reconstruction. These findings underscore the importance of attention-informed and culturally responsive nursing care that supports identity reconstruction and psychosocial adaptation across the survivorship continuum.