“Survivor mentality”: the perceived meaning of cancer survivorship among black cancer survivors

Purpose Explore perceptions of what it means to be a survivor and origins of these meanings among Black adults living beyond a cancer diagnosis.Methods Secondary analysis of qualitative data from Black U.S. adult cancer survivors. Semi-structured interviews inquired meanings of cancer survivorship. Interviews were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim. Transcripts were coded via directed content analysis.Results Participants were 19 survivors of nine different cancer types. Most were women (89.5%), 68.4% held a bachelor’s degree, and mean age was 56. Themes included (1) survivor-defined identities (e.g. survivor, warrior, thriver), (2) helping survivorship identities (i.e. how cancer-related identities influence survivors to advocate for, and support, other survivors), and (3) religiously and spiritually informed survivorship perspectives.Conclusions Cancer-related identity origins and perceived meanings vary among Black survivors. Effective cancer care can leverage these survivor-held identities. Many Black survivors may be eager to collaborate on approaches to advance cancer prevention and control.