Cancer survivorship in urban people living with cancer following primary treatment: A secondary analysis of qualitative interview data

Abstract Purpose Urban cancer survivors have been shown to have better opportunities for recovery of health and wellbeing than their rural counterparts. Whilst there is a considerable body of evidence that explores urban people with cancers’ experiences and outcomes, there is a dearth of research that explicitly explores ‘urban cancer survivorship’ in its own right. This study aimed to explore cancer survivorship in urban people living with cancer who have completed primary treatment. Methods Secondary analysis of in-depth interview data ( n = 18) with adults living with cancer who resided in urban parts of the UK. Data were drawn from a broader study on self-management of people living with cancer. An adapted version of Foster and Fenlon’s recovery of health and wellbeing in cancer survivorship framework was used to inform the analysis of the data. Results Recovery of health and wellbeing was impacted by a variety of contributory factors, which had a largely positive impact. Access to amenities, social support, travel, and healthcare factors were opportunities for urban cancer survivors, whilst pollution, traffic and a lack of green spaces acted as challenges for health management. Conclusion This study demonstrated how urban residency acted as both a barrier and a facilitator to recovery of health and wellbeing in urban cancer survivors following the completion of primary treatment. Area of residence should be taken into account by health providers and policymakers supporting cancer survivorship and the views of those with lived experiences should be included in informing future practice.