Abstract
This study was aimed at investigating the feelings of cancer survivors in the adolescent and young adult (AYA) age group from the Japanese literature, and to obtain suggestions for improving nursing support provision in the future. We conducted a search of the Japan Medical Abstracts Society Database using the following keywords: juvenile, young adult, adolescence, early adult, and cancer, and selected 23 qualitative studies that matched our study objective. Descriptive statistics (e.g., cancer site) were calculated, and the feelings of the cancer survivors in the AYA age group were analyzed using a qualitative and inductive method. Results showed that the most common site of cancer in this age group was the blood/lymphatic system in 34%. The following 7 categories were extracted as the feelings of cancer survivors in the AYA age group: unacceptable hardship associated with cancer diagnosis and treatment, agonizing about having to continue to live with cancer, conflict perceived in relationships with others, the comfort brought by interacting with people close to you ,desire for making own decisions after obtaining the necessary information, feelings of expectations for staying alive and awareness of personal growth gained from the experiences of living with cancer. In order to live with cancer despite worrying about life events, the cancer survivors in the AYA age group need nursing support from nursing personnel with an understanding of their conflicts and strengths.
