Baker Kelly, Caru Maxime, Sandvik Jodi, Martin Malissa
Health Sciences, Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions, Provo, UT, USA.
Health and Life Sciences, Providence Christian College, Pasadena, CA, USA.
Support Care Cancer. 2025 Feb 1;33(2):135. doi: 10.1007/s00520-025-09194-2.
As awareness increases related to young athletes diagnosed with cancer, it is essential to gain deeper insight into their backgrounds, experiences, and unique goals to effectively offer personalized care. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore the lived experiences of collegiate athletes in the USA diagnosed with cancer, reflecting on their academic and athletic successes during their cancer experiences.
A phenomenological design to study the nature and states of lived experiences in collegiate athlete cancer survivors diagnosed with cancer between the ages of 10 and 39 years old was implemented for this study. Eighteen collegiate athlete cancer survivors (78% female and 22% male) participated in semi-structured interviews. The interviews were audio and video recorded using the Zoom videoconferencing software.
The mean age at the time of the enrollment was 22.3 ± 1.6 years. Seventeen participants (94%) identified as white/Caucasian. Five themes related to successes emerged from the thematic analysis: (1) academic successes, including academic accommodations, renewed determination; (2) athletic successes, including return to play, physical fitness/health; (3) athletic identity, including athletic mindset, body awareness, recovery advantages; (4) post-cancer growth, including renewed sense of purpose, new appreciation for life/sport, spiritual growth, finding silver linings, personal strength and personal growth, new possibilities, positive changes in relationships; and (5) support successes, including medical support, community support, college/university support, spiritual/religious support, financial/insurance support, athletic support.
As research on young cancer survivors continues to increase, there is a pressing need to investigate their lived experiences. The findings from this study and the emerging themes carry significance to the cancer community. Further investigation is imperative, especially concerning the impact of cancer on collegiate athletes.
随着人们对被诊断患有癌症的年轻运动员的认识不断提高，深入了解他们的背景、经历和独特目标，以便有效地提供个性化护理至关重要。因此，本研究的目的是探讨美国被诊断患有癌症的大学生运动员的生活经历，反思他们在患癌期间的学业和运动成就。
本研究采用现象学设计，以研究年龄在10至39岁之间被诊断患有癌症的大学生运动员癌症幸存者的生活经历的性质和状态。18名大学生运动员癌症幸存者（78%为女性，22%为男性）参与了半结构化访谈。访谈通过Zoom视频会议软件进行音频和视频录制。
入组时的平均年龄为22.3±1.6岁。17名参与者（94%）认定为白人/高加索人。主题分析得出了与成就相关的五个主题：（1）学业成就，包括学业便利、重新燃起的决心；（2）运动成就，包括重返赛场、身体健康；（3）运动身份认同，包括运动心态、身体意识、康复优势；（4）癌症后的成长，包括重新找到生活目标、对生活/运动有了新的认识、精神成长、发现积极面、个人力量和个人成长、新的可能性、人际关系的积极变化；（5）支持成就，包括医疗支持、社区支持、学院/大学支持、精神/宗教支持、财务/保险支持、运动支持。
随着对年轻癌症幸存者的研究不断增加，迫切需要调查他们的生活经历。本研究的结果和新出现的主题对癌症群体具有重要意义。必须进行进一步的调查，特别是关于癌症对大学生运动员的影响。
