TY - ABST
T1 - An Anthropological Study of Endometrial Cancer: Patient Perspectives and Illness Experiences
AU - Sidenius, Anne
PY - 2014
Y1 - 2014
N2 - BackgroundThe implementation of fast track-cancer treatment programs worldwide leads to an increased need of knowledge about patient experiences of the cancer diagnosis and course of treatment in the light of intensified treatment. The aim of this presentation is to identify elements of illness perceptions among women with endometrial cancer in order to gain further knowledge about how patientshandle and perceive their illness and treatment situation as well as the psychosocial implications of endometrial cancer.MethodsThe study explores experiences and expectations among women with endometrial cancer at two Danish hospitals through a comparative, ethnographic fieldwork with participant observation and in-depth interviews. In total, 22 women participated in interviews conducted at three different phases: 1-3 days before surgery, 3-4 weeks after surgery and 4 months after surgery in relation to the woman’s first follow-up visit. Participant observation was conducted in relation to consultations of diagnosis, treatment plan and follow-ups,admissions, discharges and ambulant nursing care. The analysis is based on ananthropological approach in which interpretation of human experience is the focal point.ResultsPreliminary findings show that during consultations, doctors present - for example, by pointing out that the disease is encapsulated - endometrial canceras non-aggressive, slowly progressing and, thus, as more preferable than othercancers. In contrast, most women do not seem to distinct endometrial cancer from other cancers, but tend to confuse them, equate them and considerthem a single disease, simply located in different bodily areas. Many womenrecall stories of horrifying and protracted illness experiences, while battlingtheir fear of cancer cells spreading. This indicates that the word 'cancer' itself symbolizes a grueling treatment process and possibly death.ConclusionsOur study demonstrates that women suffering from endometrial cancer perceive the disease more as an icon of severe illness than a biological division of cells. By assessing and understanding the disease on a purely medical backgroundand focusing exclusively on positive survival prognoses, health care professionals risk overlooking the individual woman and her experienceof the disease, which often has more far-reaching implications than just undergoing surgery. These findings emphasize the importance and necessity of considering the many different, coexisting perceptions of cancer in all matters dealing with the disease, from fast track-treatment and hospitalization to communication and psychosocial rehabilitation.Research ImplicationsFuture cancer research must take into account that differing illness understandings of laymen and practitioners imply that the medical definition of cancer as cells dividing too fast is insufficient to describe and understand what cancer means culturally, socially, individually and even medically. The incorporation of patient perspectives is essential in gaining a greater knowledge of the psychosocial implications of cancer and it is important that we startexamining the consequences of thinking cancer too narrowly. Clinical ImplicationsOur findings show that women with endometrial cancer in many cases experience the disease as potentially life-threatening.This study indicates thatin order to provide sufficient support, patient perceptions of cancer and closely related vulnerabilities, anxieties and individual needs should always be taken into account during doctor-patient consultations, in the development of caring initiatives and information materials, but especially when implementing fasttrack-treatments that in principle leave little room for interaction with each patient
AB - BackgroundThe implementation of fast track-cancer treatment programs worldwide leads to an increased need of knowledge about patient experiences of the cancer diagnosis and course of treatment in the light of intensified treatment. The aim of this presentation is to identify elements of illness perceptions among women with endometrial cancer in order to gain further knowledge about how patientshandle and perceive their illness and treatment situation as well as the psychosocial implications of endometrial cancer.MethodsThe study explores experiences and expectations among women with endometrial cancer at two Danish hospitals through a comparative, ethnographic fieldwork with participant observation and in-depth interviews. In total, 22 women participated in interviews conducted at three different phases: 1-3 days before surgery, 3-4 weeks after surgery and 4 months after surgery in relation to the woman’s first follow-up visit. Participant observation was conducted in relation to consultations of diagnosis, treatment plan and follow-ups,admissions, discharges and ambulant nursing care. The analysis is based on ananthropological approach in which interpretation of human experience is the focal point.ResultsPreliminary findings show that during consultations, doctors present - for example, by pointing out that the disease is encapsulated - endometrial canceras non-aggressive, slowly progressing and, thus, as more preferable than othercancers. In contrast, most women do not seem to distinct endometrial cancer from other cancers, but tend to confuse them, equate them and considerthem a single disease, simply located in different bodily areas. Many womenrecall stories of horrifying and protracted illness experiences, while battlingtheir fear of cancer cells spreading. This indicates that the word 'cancer' itself symbolizes a grueling treatment process and possibly death.ConclusionsOur study demonstrates that women suffering from endometrial cancer perceive the disease more as an icon of severe illness than a biological division of cells. By assessing and understanding the disease on a purely medical backgroundand focusing exclusively on positive survival prognoses, health care professionals risk overlooking the individual woman and her experienceof the disease, which often has more far-reaching implications than just undergoing surgery. These findings emphasize the importance and necessity of considering the many different, coexisting perceptions of cancer in all matters dealing with the disease, from fast track-treatment and hospitalization to communication and psychosocial rehabilitation.Research ImplicationsFuture cancer research must take into account that differing illness understandings of laymen and practitioners imply that the medical definition of cancer as cells dividing too fast is insufficient to describe and understand what cancer means culturally, socially, individually and even medically. The incorporation of patient perspectives is essential in gaining a greater knowledge of the psychosocial implications of cancer and it is important that we startexamining the consequences of thinking cancer too narrowly. Clinical ImplicationsOur findings show that women with endometrial cancer in many cases experience the disease as potentially life-threatening.This study indicates thatin order to provide sufficient support, patient perceptions of cancer and closely related vulnerabilities, anxieties and individual needs should always be taken into account during doctor-patient consultations, in the development of caring initiatives and information materials, but especially when implementing fasttrack-treatments that in principle leave little room for interaction with each patient
M3 - Conference abstract in journal
SN - 1057-9249
VL - 3
SP - 165
JO - Psycho-Oncology
JF - Psycho-Oncology
T2 - IPOS. The 16th Annual World Congress of Psycho-Oncology and Psychosocial Academy
Y2 - 15 October 2014 through 17 October 2014
ER -