post-traumatic growth in breast cancer patients: a qualitative phenomenological study

background : studies about cancer-related trauma have shown that psychological reactions to the disease are not exclusively negative but most patients also report positive experiences. these positive perceptions are also called post-traumatic growth and benefit patients psychologically, spiritually, and physically. therefore, we have conducted a study about how women with breast cancer perceive post- traumatic growth and the recognition of its dimensions in iran. methods : this qualitative study was conducted by using interpretative phe- nomenological analysis. a total of 23 women with breast cancer who met the inclusion criteria were selected after which patients completed a researcher-generated open-ended questionnaire. data were analyzed according to the guidelines for the interpretative phenomenological analysis and smith method. results : participants’ perceptions in this study about post-traumatic growth included three themes: spiritual growth, appreciation of life, and increased personal strengths. conclusion : themes found in this study conformed to dimensions according to the tedeschi and calhoun theory of post-traumatic growth. however, relations with others were not found in the present study. we propose that interventions should be designed and implemented in order to facilitate and enhance post-traumatic growth.