Disease Acceptance Process in Stomach Cancer Survivors who Underwent Surgery in Stage I

Abstract

Abstract

Along with the growing incidence of cancer, an increasing number of patients seek treatment in stage I, which is an early stage of the disease. The five-year survival rate for patients with stage I stomach or uterine cancer is more than 90%, demonstrating that many of these patients live the rest of their lives as cancer survivors. However, only a few studies have focused on the early stage of cancer. The objective of this study was to examine the process of disease acceptance in cancer survivors with stomach cancer who underwent surgery in stage I. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 27 cancer survivors who underwent surgery within 5 years prior to the study. The collected data were analyzed using a modified grounded theory approach. The process of disease acceptance in stomach cancer survivors who underwent surgery in stage I included “facing a limited life as a result of being diagnosed with cancer”, “becoming aware of the fortunate recovery of life”, and “living his/her recovered life”. For this unidirectional change, “regaining daily living activities previously lost due to cancer diagnosis and surgery” and “receiving benefits from early treatment” by “recovering normality” were essential. In nursing support, therefore, it may be effective to indicate practical approaches to recover lost activities and normality. Further, the patient's need to access information on cancer, which was frequently observed in this study, suggests the need for provision of practical information, such as experiences of peers who were treated in the same hospital, made available long-term through accessible sources.