The salience of cancer and the "survivor" identity for people who have completed acute cancer treatment: a qualitative study

Katherine Clegg Smith, Ann C. Klassen, Kisha I. Coa, Susan M. Hannum
2015 Journal of cancer survivorship  
Purpose-Globally there are nearly 33 million persons who have survived five or more years after a diagnosis of cancer [1] . We explore the salience of cancer in such people's self-concept as an important element for creating patient-centered care for those living with a cancer history. Methods-Our data are responses to a free-listing exercise and subsequent qualitative interviews with 53 individuals aged between 45 and 74 who were diagnosed with non Hodgkin's lymphoma, breast or prostate cancer
more » ... at least three years prior and had completed acute treatment. Participants lived in the Baltimore-Washington region of the U.S. Results-Cancer was not necessarily salient to participants' current self-concept, and espousal of a 'survivor' identity is complex. We construct a typology of seven contrasting meanings of 'survivor' based upon participants' narratives (Factual, Beaten, Functional, Temporary, Adversity, Passage of time, and Lucky or Blessed), and present interviewees' rationales as to why they did or did not adopt a survivorship identity. Conclusions-We examine the complexity of 'survivorship' as an identity and people's affiliation with it, as well as how this relates to other salient and fluid elements of people's sense of self within a life course perspective. Correspondence to: Katherine Clegg Smith, katecsmith@jhu.edu. Ethical Standards All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. Implications for Cancer Survivors-Understanding how cancer factors into people's selfconcept throughout the life course is important for designing effective, patient-centered programs that acknowledge diverse experiences and expectations and possible changes with the passage of time.
doi:10.1007/s11764-015-0489-0 pmid:26462498 pmcid:PMC4833692 fatcat:c7j7bkd7kngnpoz7dgqxsvnt54