TY - JOUR
T1 - ‘Still living with it even though it's gone’
T2 - Using interpretive phenomenological analysis to explore shared experiences of living with and beyond breast, prostate, and colorectal cancer
AU - Le Boutillier, Clair
AU - Urch, Catherine
AU - King, Alex
AU - Barry, Claire
AU - Mansfield, Louise
AU - Archer, Stephanie
N1 - Funding Information:
The study was funded by Macmillan Cancer Support and hosted by Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust. Ethical approval was obtained from the West Midlands - Black Country Research Ethics Committee and the Health Research Authority (REC reference 17/WM/0127).This article presents independent research funded by Macmillan Cancer Support. The authors would like to acknowledge and thank Macmillan Cancer Support for the funding and support provided to ensure this study was made possible. We would also like to thank everyone who participated in this study, and who generously gave their time to share their experiences of living with and beyond cancer.
Funding Information:
The study was funded by Macmillan Cancer Support and hosted by Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust . Ethical approval was obtained from the West Midlands - Black Country Research Ethics Committee and the Health Research Authority (REC reference 17/WM/0127).
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 The Authors
PY - 2022/2
Y1 - 2022/2
N2 - Purpose: Living with and beyond cancer is an increasingly common experience. While research is uncovering valuable individual experiences of those living with and beyond cancer, it has been argued that this idiographic approach is limited in outlook, reach and impact. This study contributes to the understanding of what it means to live with and beyond cancer by complementing idiographic knowledge with multiple perspectives from a group of participants who are living with and beyond cancer, to explore how individual experiences may be relevant to others. Method: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with people who had received treatment for breast (n = 6), prostate (n = 6) or colorectal cancer (n = 6). Data were analysed using interpretive phenomenological analysis. The early findings were then shared with a wider group of people who had received treatment for breast, prostate or colorectal cancer (n = 26) in six focus groups, to explore whether they had similar experiences. Results: While individual accounts of living with and beyond cancer detail unique features specific to each person's experience, focus group discussions illustrated how participant life worlds interact and overlap. The findings identified thematic similarities within and between individual and group levels and across cancer types. Three super-ordinate themes describe the shared experience of living with and beyond cancer: i) the cancer shock, ii) managing cancer and getting through and iii) getting over cancer. Conclusions: A multiple perspective approach informs our understanding of shared experiences of living with and beyond cancer. This knowledge can be used to direct, design, and deliver relevant supportive cancer care.
AB - Purpose: Living with and beyond cancer is an increasingly common experience. While research is uncovering valuable individual experiences of those living with and beyond cancer, it has been argued that this idiographic approach is limited in outlook, reach and impact. This study contributes to the understanding of what it means to live with and beyond cancer by complementing idiographic knowledge with multiple perspectives from a group of participants who are living with and beyond cancer, to explore how individual experiences may be relevant to others. Method: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with people who had received treatment for breast (n = 6), prostate (n = 6) or colorectal cancer (n = 6). Data were analysed using interpretive phenomenological analysis. The early findings were then shared with a wider group of people who had received treatment for breast, prostate or colorectal cancer (n = 26) in six focus groups, to explore whether they had similar experiences. Results: While individual accounts of living with and beyond cancer detail unique features specific to each person's experience, focus group discussions illustrated how participant life worlds interact and overlap. The findings identified thematic similarities within and between individual and group levels and across cancer types. Three super-ordinate themes describe the shared experience of living with and beyond cancer: i) the cancer shock, ii) managing cancer and getting through and iii) getting over cancer. Conclusions: A multiple perspective approach informs our understanding of shared experiences of living with and beyond cancer. This knowledge can be used to direct, design, and deliver relevant supportive cancer care.
KW - Interpretive phenomenological analysis
KW - Lived experience
KW - Living with and beyond cancer
KW - Qualitative research
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85120963506&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.ejon.2021.102067
DO - 10.1016/j.ejon.2021.102067
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85120963506
SN - 1462-3889
VL - 56
JO - European Journal of Oncology Nursing
JF - European Journal of Oncology Nursing
M1 - 102067
ER -
