Objective:

to analyze the therapeutic itineraries of women with cervical neoplasms (NCU) from treatment, in the southwest region of Bahia, Brazil.

Materials and methods:

qualitative descriptive and exploratory study carried out in a unit of high complexity in oncology, which is a reference for the southwest region of Bahia. Five women undergoing treatment for NCU were interviewed and data from semi-structured interviews and field diary records were collected from July to August 2017. A categorical thematic analysis was adopted.

Results:

two empirical categories emerged: Symbolic aspects and experiences of women undergoing NCU treatment and Search for NCU treatments. Outsourcing of signs and meanings of the disease from biomedical and supernatural elements, experiences of illness characterized by feelings of pain and suffering, overcoming and coping, and activation of therapeutic strategies of empirical, popular and biomedical character, were results of the study.

Conclusion:

itineraries based on connections with family members, health professionals, community members, and religiosity, denote that there are no unique and defined patterns in the paths of care search, and that they can allow a nearest sense, ways to treat the disease and therapeutic strategies valued and triggered by these women.

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