Quality of life from the perspective of people in anticancer treatment: a phenomenological analysis

Abstract

The proposal of this study was to unveil quality of life conception, of individuals with malignant neoplasm, under anti-neoplasm treatment in a support home. A qualitative approach structured in the existential phenomenology was used, once it places the individual in an ontological dimension. We interviewed 11 users from a philanthropic institution of Maringá-PR, during June and July 2010, who expressed their conceptions through the following guiding question: How is your life at this time? Searching the phenomenon three ontological themes emerged: living-in-a-world with your body changes; living-in-a-world away from your beloved ones; living-in-a-world concerned with your future. It was apprehended that the studied patients have their quality of life affected not only for being moved away from their beloved ones and for being under cancer treatment, but for a series of circumstances that life imposes them for having cancer.

Descriptors: Quality of life; Medical oncology; Nursing care.