The meaning of quality of life in the context of antineoplasic chemotherapy for patients with colorectal cancer

Author(s)

Luciana Scatralhe Buetto

• Document type: Doctoral Thesis
• Press: Ribeirão Preto.
• Institution: Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Escola de Enfermagem de Ribeirão Preto (PCARP/BC)
• Defense date: 2014-07-07

Examining board members

Marcia Maria Fontao Zago; Anna Cláudia Yokoyama dos Anjos; Eliza Maria Rezende Dázio; Lucila Castanheira Nascimento; Maria Helena Pinto

• Advisor: Marcia Maria Fontao Zago

Abstract

The aim of this study was to interpret the meanings attributed to quality of life for patients with colorectal cancer in the context of antineoplasic chemotherapy. We use the theoretical framework of medical anthropology, derived from interpretive anthropology, which conceptually integrates culture and disease with use of ethnographic methods, and inductive thematic analysis. There were in-depth interviews (CEP- EERP- USP 1412/2011) with sixteen participants with colorectal cancer who were undergoing cancer chemotherapy in a public university hospital. Three units of meaning and two thematic groups were constructed. The units of \"Therapeutic itinerary meaning: from the diagnosis to treatment\",\"The antineoplasic chemotherapy and its adverse effects\" and \"Quality of life during cancer chemotherapy\", showed that the construction of the therapeutic itinerary runs through the recognition of body abnormality, the search for professional health care system and the need for specialized treatments. The first therapeutic indication is the surgery, which brings suffering and partial solution of the problem, soon replaced by chemotherapy. The disease is perceived as an uncontrollable dimension, and the experienced events provide a new social identity, the body marks represent their vulnerability and the adverse effects report their condition of cancer patients. There is the social suffering, the need for resilience to adhere to treatment, individual, familiar and social adaptations and transformations, which resulted in the adoption of new ideas, concepts, values and beliefs, adding new elements in their social identity, because they realize the loss of their capabilities and the healing impossibility. The hope of normality of life recovery is impaired by the confirmation of the healing impossibility, being replaced by the right of a dignified death. The person has their oncologic condition visibly exposed and, despite the knowledge of their finitude, does not give up their hope of cure. In thematic groups \"The moral experience attributed to colorectal cancer and cancer chemotherapy\" and \"Quality of life of people with colorectal cancer receiving antineoplasic chemotherapy - normality recovery\" was evidenced that chemotherapy is a preliminary step to healing in the process of moral experience of having colorectal cancer, which is related to the consequences of moral and social attitudes in everyday, with the pursuit of preserving their self-esteem and sense of normality, rejecting that the possibilities of cure have ended. The meaning of quality of life is constructed according to the relations developed with people, including personal judgment about life, experiences and expectations of future related to the context of disease where chemotherapy is one more step of the treatment, that even with their limiting reactions, is still the expectation to reach the cure. There is evidence that participants do not have quality of life, because of the \"loss of control of their lives,\" the perception that the therapy does not ensure healing, remaining the uncertainty of the future, even with the suffering and moral experience. Expanding the focus of quality of life should occur by nurses, including socio-cultural references of people who live the process of illness and treatment, exceeding the biological and technological dimension of care (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 11/01147-0 - The mecanings of quality of life attributed by oncological patients in chemotherapy
• Grantee: Luciana Scatralhe Buetto
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate