Experiences of adolescents with cancer and blood diseases at the time of diagnosis: A phenomenological study

Abstract

Background: Cancer and blood diseases are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in adolescents and require positively differentiated and targeted nursing care. Objective: To understand the experiences of adolescents with cancer and blood diseases at the time of diagnosis. Methodology: Empirical qualitative study with an interpretative phenomenological approach (Giorgi’s method of analysis). Nine Portuguese adolescents undergoing treatment in the pediatric oncology unit were interviewed. Results: Three central themes related to the phenomenon emerged from the analysis (anticipating a serious disease, dealing with the news of the diagnosis, and accepting the disease as a life contingency). Conclusion: Adolescents experience cancer in a particular way because of their developmental stage. They perceive the diagnosis as a threat to their life plans and dreams as they face personal contingencies and the threat of premature death. Health professionals should adjust their way of caring for adolescents to each moment identified in the sequence of experiences and encourage them to express their emotions and expectations while helping them to proactively adapt their everyday lives to their disease.