Dealing with Reality as a Cancer Patient when Continuing Current Cancer Treatment without Possibility of New Treatment as Determined by Cancer Panel Examination

• Published in: Journal of Japanese Society of Cancer Nursing Vol. 37; p. 37_52_okamoto
• Main Authors: Okamoto, Megumi, Imai, Yoshie, Bando, Takae, Takahashi, Aki, Inoue, Yuta, Sakamoto, Tomoka
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Japanese
• Published: Japanese Society of Cancer Nursing 29.03.2023
• Subjects: cancer genomic profiling; cancer patients; dealing with reality
• ISSN: 0914-6423; 2189-7565
• DOI: 10.18906/jjscn.37_52_okamoto

To clarify cancer patients’ experience of dealing with reality after being notified of their cancer genomic profiling results which did not lead to new treatments, a qualitative descriptive study was performed. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 cancer patients who had received cancer genomic profiling and had been notified that their results did not lead to new treatments. Their experience of dealing with reality after being notified of such results was summarized into the following 5 categories: accepting the results in a constructive manner by deeming that genetic information paves the way for future treatments, finding the situation acceptable because of one’s stable condition even without new treatments, controlling one’s emotional ups and downs by not clinging to something as a ray of hope, believing in oneself for having survived until now, and having people understand oneself as someone with no way out. Cancer patients’ experience of dealing with reality after being notified of their cancer genomic profiling results which did not lead to new treatments were characterized by “having fewer options, but feeling that one can live a little more” and “using one’s strength of fully understanding one's present self for emotional control”. The results suggest that these patients need to find circumstances that allow them to think about their future even in a severe situation, and medical staff need to promote their understanding of the characteristics of genomic profiling, understand their emotions, and continuously support them to help them deal with reality.