Examining spirituality among women with breast cancer.

A diagnosis of cancer can conjure up a whole host of emotions. Many women with breast cancer will try to deal with the disease by ascribing meaning for its occurrence and searching for mechanisms by which to cope with its sequelae. Research supports that women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer are employing complementary and alternative medicine use as a means of gaining a sense of control over the disease as well as reducing stress and achieving inner peace. Spirituality is one such mechanism that women with breast cancer utilize in order to achieve that goal; an underlying premise being that taking care of the soul is a necessary element in healing the body.