Department of Oncology, Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway;
Department of Interdisciplinary Health Sciences, Institute of Health and Society, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
Anticancer Res. 2023 May;43(5):2031-2039. doi: 10.21873/anticanres.16364.
BACKGROUND/AIM: Sarcoma patients' experiences of their health-related quality of life and late effects following particle therapy are sparse. Such knowledge is essential to optimize treatment compliance and follow-up care related to this rapidly developing, but still centralized treatment modality.
This qualitative study has an explorative design and applies a phenomenological and hermeneutical approach based on semi-structured interviews with 12 bone sarcoma patients who had undergone particle therapy abroad. The data were interpreted using thematic analysis.
Several of the participants called for more information about how the treatment would be carried out, its acute side effects and late complications. Most participants had positive experiences from the treatment and their stay abroad, but several struggled with late effects and other challenges. Themes that emerged from the analysis were "importance of being prepared", "treatment and stay abroad", "basically healthy, but with health problems and challenges".
Oncologists who inform and refer patients to particle therapy abroad must have sufficient experience of this treatment modality, prognoses, acute side effects, and late complications. Findings derived from this study may improve treatment preparation and compliance, enhance understanding of individual patient challenges to reduce stress and worry, and lead to better follow-up care and consequently quality of life of this selected group of bone sarcoma patients.
背景/目的：肉瘤患者在接受粒子疗法后的健康相关生活质量和晚期效应的体验很少。这种知识对于优化与这种快速发展但仍集中治疗方式相关的治疗依从性和随访护理至关重要。
这项定性研究具有探索性设计，并采用基于半结构化访谈的现象学和诠释学方法，对 12 名在国外接受过粒子疗法的骨肉瘤患者进行了研究。使用主题分析对数据进行解释。
一些参与者呼吁更多关于治疗如何进行、急性副作用和晚期并发症的信息。大多数参与者对治疗和国外的治疗体验持积极态度，但有几个人在晚期并发症和其他方面面临挑战。分析中出现的主题包括“做好准备的重要性”、“治疗和国外治疗”、“基本健康，但存在健康问题和挑战”。
在国外为患者提供粒子疗法咨询和转诊的肿瘤学家必须对这种治疗方法、预后、急性副作用和晚期并发症有足够的经验。本研究得出的结论可能会改善治疗准备和依从性，增进对个体患者挑战的理解，以减轻压力和担忧，并提供更好的随访护理，从而提高这组选定的骨肉瘤患者的生活质量。
