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Searching for a harmonious survival: the experience of quality of life of urological cancer survivors

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Abstract

Purpose

This study aimed to analyze the experience of quality of life for urological cancer survivors.

Methods

This is a qualitative narrative research based on the experience-centered approach. Twenty-one semi-structured face-to-face interviews were conducted with 12 survivors of urological cancer at different survival seasons. Participants were recruited from the convenience sampling. The thematic analysis approach was used to analyze the data. The findings are presented as narrative syntheses. The standards for reporting qualitative research (SPQR) were used in this study.

Results

Two narrative syntheses were constructed: (1) Rupture in the different dimensions of QoL; and (2) QoL: Searching for a harmonious survival, each presenting their respective sub-themes. After the rupture in the different dimensions of QoL, the survivors resigned themselves and searched for a harmonious survival despite the physical, social, and psychological changes imposed by cancer treatments. Survivors achieved a new meaning of QoL with the support of family, hope, and spirituality.

Conclusions

The results highlight the changes experienced by survivors in different dimensions of QoL and the search for harmonious survival. Based on QoL experience reported in this study, health professionals can plan survival care and interventions that mitigate the consequences of treatment on QoL.

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Data availability

The datasets analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

Code availability

Not applicable.

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Funding

This study was supported by the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior—Brasil (CAPES), finance code 001.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Escola de Enfermagem de Ribeirão Preto da Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Bandeirantes, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, 390014040-902, Brazil

    Rhyquelle Rhibna Neris, Lucila Castanheira Nascimento & Márcia Maria Fontão Zago

Authors
  1. Rhyquelle Rhibna Neris
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  2. Lucila Castanheira Nascimento
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  3. Márcia Maria Fontão Zago
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Contributions

RRN and MMFZ have made substantial contributions to the conception and design of the study. RRN has performed the data collection. RRN, LCN, and MMFZ have been involved in data analysis and interpretation, drafting of the manuscript, and relevant critical review of the intellectual content. All authors have given final approval of the version to be published.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Lucila Castanheira Nascimento.

Ethics declarations

Ethics approval

The study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of the University to which the research team is attached, and the hospital where the data was collected (Protocol Number: 217/2016).

Consent to participate

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Not applicable.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare no competing interests.

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Neris, R.R., Nascimento, L.C. & Zago, M.M.F. Searching for a harmonious survival: the experience of quality of life of urological cancer survivors. Support Care Cancer 30, 3485–3494 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-021-06786-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-021-06786-6

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