Conception of spirituality of cancer patients undergoing antineoplastic treatment

Abstract

In addition to being a way of coping with and attributing new meanings to suffering and conceiving life, spirituality is a source of hope and confidence for cancer patients. From these premises, the aim of this study was to present the perception of spirituality of cancer patients undergoing antineoplastic treatment in order to understand its influence on how patients cope with the disease. This is a descriptive and qualitative study carried out in the outpatient chemotherapy clinic of a Brazilian public hospital. The study sample consisted of 18 cancer patients undergoing outpatient chemotherapy, over 18 years of age, of both genders. Thematic content analysis was used, which revealed two thematic categories: 1) spirituality as a source of hope and confidence; and 2) spirituality as a source of new meanings to suffering and of a renewed view of life.