Exploring the Post-Treatment Experiences of Childhood Cancer Survivors

Background: One of the great successes in medicine is the treatment of childhood cancer. Due to the overall increase in the survival rate of individuals with cancer, the disease is now considered a chronic condition (Meeske, Patel, Palmer, Nelson, & Parow, 2007) rather than a terminal illness, drawing tremendous amount of attention toward examining the subjective well-being among cancer patients and survivors. In the Philippines, there is a growing number of childhood cancer survivors, however, they face posttreatment challenges that are given less attention in research in the country. Aim: The study sought to understand the experiences of Filipino childhood cancer survivors, focusing on the challenges, triumphs, and experiences related to postcancer treatment. An awareness and a better understanding of these will likely help psychosocial oncology professionals improve survivors´ level of functioning and quality of life in the posttreatment period. Methods: Using a qualitative design, six focus group discussions were conducted with 21 survivors of childhood cancer. Two of the FGDs were with survivors ages 13-18 years old and four FGDs were with 19-25 years old. The discussions were recorded and then transcribed for data storage, management, and analysis. Results: The results consisted of information grouped into two broad categories as positive and negative experiences. Survivors of childhood cancer reported positive experiences during the post-treatment period. They experienced improvement in their physical condition (healthy lifestyle, better health), in psychosocial wellness (gratefulness, determination), and in sustained religious engagement (prayerfulness, involvement in religious activities). On the other hand, the survivors also reported negative posttreatment experiences. Their negative experiences were thematically clustered according to the broad areas of cognitive (inefficient memory retrieval), physical (limitations on physical activities, pain, body issues), and socio-emotional (worry about cancer in the family, fear of relapse, fear of rejection, irritability) aspects. Conclusion: The experiences of the survivors in the posttreatment have both positive and negative dimensions. However, the reported negative experiences seem to weigh heavily on the survivors, with numerous cognitive, physical and socio-emotional concerns. There is an increasing urgency to understand the posttreatment psychological needs of the growing population of childhood cancer survivors, and develop follow-up psychosocial interventions for them. These psychosocial interventions can equip survivors with strategies to effectively manage and overcome their chronic worries, instill confidence and a sense of security and be able to plan for their future more positively.