"What I was and what I am": a qualitative study of survivors' experience of urological cancer

Purpose: Most qualitative studies do not explore experience throughout the urologic cancer survival trajectory. Moreover, the evidence of the experience of cancer survivors that focuses on the contextual aspects of culture is scarce in oncology literature. This study aimed to analyze the survival ex...

Descripción completa

Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Neris, Rhyquelle Rhibna, Leite, Ana Carolina Andrade Biaggi, Nascimento, Lucila, García Vivar, Cristina, Zago, Márcia Maria Fontão
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión aceptada para publicación
Fecha de publicación:2020
País:España
Institución:Universidad Pública de Navarra
Repositorio:Academica-e. Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad Pública de Navarra
OAI Identifier:oai:academica-e.unavarra.es:2454/52917
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/2454/52917
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Anthropology
Medical
Nursing research
Qualitative research
Oncology nursing
Survival
Urologic neoplasms
Descripción
Sumario:Purpose: Most qualitative studies do not explore experience throughout the urologic cancer survival trajectory. Moreover, the evidence of the experience of cancer survivors that focuses on the contextual aspects of culture is scarce in oncology literature. This study aimed to analyze the survival experience of urological cancer from the perspective of men. Method: This was a narrative research based on the concepts of culture derived from the interpretative medical anthropologic approach. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 male survivors of urological cancer at different survival seasons. Seven participants agreed to a second interview, which resulted in 17 interviews. The data were analyzed using a five-phase thematic analysis approach. The findings are presented as narrative syntheses. The standards for reporting qualitative research (SPQR) was used in this study. Results: Two narrative syntheses were constructed: "The journey of urological cancer: discovering oneself as a survivor" and "What I was and what I am today": the disruption on the body and life. The narrative synthesis shows that survivors undergo transitions of identity from being healthy men to wrecked men. The survivors tried to present themselves as normal men to keep their masculinity intact. However, the experience of survival constituted a process of liminality and biographical disruption. Conclusion: The experience of surviving urological cancer has highlighted the physical, emotional, and social challenges experienced by these male survivors. It is recommended to oncology nurses that nursing care should be planned along survival seasons considering the survivor's individual and subjective experiences.