乳癌對婦女而言除了代表是一種疾病之外，還包括了許多心理的壓抑、 害怕、恐懼等受苦的感覺。婦女需要尋找受苦對他們的意義，以重新回歸社會。 本研究採田野研究法，敘述三位初診斷為乳癌兩個月內的婦女經歷診斷為乳癌的 受苦歷程，以及這三位婦女如何應用社會支持系統協助尋找受苦的意義。作者為 其住院期間之主護護士，從行為過程記錄分析中發現三位個案患病後的受苦歷程 有：對症狀的不確定、對生存的未知、對手術的焦慮，及對後續治療的害怕；社 會支持對個案的作用為：尋找未來不確定感的答案、正常化的認同、健康角色認 同、治療自主的支持，及情緒的支持。本研究結果提供護理人員解乳癌婦女的受 苦歷程，及社會支持幫助婦女尋找受苦意義的作用，並且發現護理人員在提供資 訊及情感支持上，對婦女經歷受苦也有重要的意義。

　　　　　Suffering is a common experience for women with breast cancer. Women returned to their previous life style through searching for the meanings of suffering. This paper describes three breast cancer women's experiences in suffering and it reveals interaction between the nature of suffering and their social support network. Data were collected in a surgical ward. Through participants' observations, the primary nurse offered the opportunities to share patient' illness-related thoughts and reactions. The contents of procedural recordings were analyzed. The experiences in suffering were uncertainty of the signs, unknown living future, anxiety of operation, and afraid of cancer chemotherapy or radiation therapy. Social support networks helped them in seeking the solution for uncertainty, being normality, healthy identity, autonomy for treatment, and emotional support. The findings indicated that adequate information and emotional support may reduce breast cancer women' suffering.