Advances in medicine significantly improved outcomes for many cancer patients, effectively moving it from an acute disease to a more chronic one. Living with a chronic cancer often prompts an existential search for meaning, as multiple losses impact the individual on a personal and familial level. At the same time, these patients must learn to adapt to the functional and relational changes necessitated by their disease. Two theoretical perspectives, meaning-making and family systems, are useful in understanding the experience of patients with chronic cancer and offering psychosocial interventions aimed at improving overall adjustment.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Boerger-Knowles et al. (2014) studied this question.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: