Living with side effects from cancer treatment – a challenge to target information

BACKGROUND: Patients with cancer experience side effects related to their antineoplastic treatment. Demands for efficiency limit the time patients spend with health professionals. This requires that professionals are able to offer adequate support to patients in coping with side effects of treatment in everyday life. However, it appears that the level of information about and support in living with side effects may be insufficient. OBJECTIVE: To explore patients' experiences of how side effects from chemotherapy and radiotherapy impact everyday life as well as the information needs in coping with these side effects. METHODS: Nine patients' experiences were analysed and interpreted using a phenomenological-hermeneutical approach. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews. FINDINGS: The patients are deeply impacted by side effects in their everyday life. They struggle to take power but experience loss of control. They feel inexperienced without knowledge in an 'ongoing system', and because of lack of continuity, they do not come up with their real needs. To avoid pitfalls in the information, the patients need individualized support from the professionals. CONCLUSION: If the patients have to be supported during everyday life with side effects from cancer treatment in an individualized way, the professional must be aware that the patients risk adapting to the busy healthcare system. To empower the patient, the professional must be able to sense the patients' appeal for help and enter into caring relationships. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: To ensure targeted information, the relationship between nurse and patient must build on nursing values including the patients' illness - perspective. However, the professionals must take a critical look at how they provide information and how they act to empower the patients.