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This phenomenologic study was designed to understand and describe the experiences of adolescents living with cancer. The study was conducted with a sample of five adolescents 13 to 17 years old, who had received or were receiving treatments for cancer. Data were collected during audiotaped interviews and were analyzed for common themes. The data showed that the adolescents' overall goal was to get on with life. The teenagers responded to cancer by experiencing the illness and determining that they were normal. They developed a philosophy of being positive and redefined their social world in order to get on with life. Understanding the manner in which adolescents with cancer experience living with this illness may enable health care practitioners to provide appropriate care to the teenager with cancer. Implications for practice, research, and education are discussed.
Mona Rechner (Mon,) studied this question.