“No… Nobody told me anything about that”: a qualitative study on pretreatment knowledge of individuals with lung or head and neck cancer regarding the disease, treatments, and physical exercise

Purpose Lung and head and neck cancers have high incidence, substantial symptom burden, and marked functional decline related to both the disease and its treatments. Although physical exercise is recognized as an adjuvant strategy that mitigates treatment-related adverse effects, patients’ understanding of their diagnosis, therapeutic plan, and the role of exercise may affect their engagement and adherence. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the knowledge of individuals with primary lung or head and neck cancer, prior to treatment initiation, regarding the disease, prescribed therapies, anticipated symptoms, and the role of physical exercise as an adjunct intervention. Methods This qualitative study included individuals with primary lung or head and neck cancer. Data were collected through semi-structured individual interviews conducted up to 1 week before treatment initiation, recorded, and transcribed verbatim. Data collection continued until thematic saturation, and analysis followed Braun and Clarke’s six-phase thematic analysis approach. Results A total of 14 individuals were interviewed (age, 66 [53–70] years; head and neck cancer, 8 (57%); males, 10 (71%)). Five overarching themes and 13 subthemes were identified from the data: (1) general knowledge; (2) expectations during the cancer treatment; (3) perceptions about physical exercise in cancer; (4) third-party support; and (5) context of the diagnosis. Conclusion Individuals with lung or head and neck cancer, prior to treatment initiation, show limited knowledge about their disease, prescribed therapies, expected symptoms, and the role of physical exercise. Although participants had minimal understanding of what exercise programs entail, they expressed willingness to participate if recommended.