Ramathuba Dorah Ursula, Ramutumbu Neo Jacqueline
Department of Advanced Nursing Science, University of Venda, P/Bag X5050, Thohoyandou 0950, South Africa.
Curr Oncol. 2025 Jan 16;32(1):43. doi: 10.3390/curroncol32010043.
The diagnosis and treatment of cancer are associated with substantial physical, psychological, and social morbidity for most patients. Distress can be seen as an unpleasant experience of an emotional, psychological, social, or spiritual nature that interferes with the ability to cope with cancer treatment.
The aim was to understand patients' experiences of distress in their context and to analyze and interpret the findings.
An explorative, descriptive qualitative study was conducted among cancer patients receiving treatment and care at rural hospitals in Limpopo. A face-to-face individual interview was conducted to determine the participants' cancer-related experiences and quality of life. Thematic analysis was conducted following Tesch's method, and the themes developed were subjected to a triangulation process to ensure the validity and rigor of the findings.
The participants revealed experiences of symptomatic distress resulting in biopsychosocial distress such as pain, fatigue, emotional distress related to prognosis and uncertainty about the future, psychosocial distress related to a lack or absence of support, financial instability, and poor self-esteem.
Cancer patients face many challenges during their treatment journey. Participants were drained by anxiety and uncertainty of the cancer trajectory and required psychosocial support. The oncology team must provide supportive preventive measures for side effects management and culture-sensitive psychotherapy at an early stage to improve their quality of life.
对大多数患者而言，癌症的诊断和治疗会带来严重的身体、心理和社会问题。痛苦可被视为一种具有情感、心理、社会或精神性质的不愉快体验，它会干扰应对癌症治疗的能力。
旨在了解患者在其实际情境中的痛苦经历，并对研究结果进行分析和解读。
在林波波省农村医院接受治疗和护理的癌症患者中开展了一项探索性、描述性的定性研究。通过面对面的个人访谈来确定参与者与癌症相关的经历和生活质量。按照泰施的方法进行主题分析，并对所形成的主题进行三角互证，以确保研究结果的有效性和严谨性。
参与者透露了症状性痛苦的经历，这些经历导致了生物心理社会痛苦，如疼痛、疲劳、与预后及未来不确定性相关的情绪困扰、与缺乏支持相关的心理社会困扰、经济不稳定以及自尊低下。
癌症患者在治疗过程中面临诸多挑战。参与者因癌症病程的焦虑和不确定性而疲惫不堪，需要心理社会支持。肿瘤学团队必须在早期提供支持性预防措施以管理副作用，并提供对文化敏感的心理治疗，以提高他们的生活质量。
