A52

I just want to live on", a qualitative study of attitudes of cancer patients with a limited remaining lifetime

Forfattere: Bardo Driller1,2,3, Carolin Maienborn4, Elin Margrethe Aasen5, Adriana Kolstrøm6, Bente Talseth-Palmer2,7,8, Torstein Hole2,10, Kjell Erik Strømskag9, Anne-Tove Brenne3,11

1. Department of Oncology, Møre and Romsdal Hospital Trust, Ålesund, Norway 2. Department for Research and Innovation, Møre and Romsdal Hospital Trust, Ålesund, Norway 3. Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway 4. School of natural sciences, Trinity College Dublin, University of Dublin, Ireland 5. Department of Health Sciences Ålesund, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway 6. Home care department, Kristiansund municipality, Kristiansund N, Norway 7. School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, College of Health, Medicine and Wellbeing, University of Newcastle, Australia 8. NSW Health Pathology, New South Wales, Australia 9. Department of Surgery and Emergency Medicine Molde Hospital, Møre and Romsdal Hospital Trust, Molde, Norway 10. Department of Circulation and Medical Imaging, Faculty of Medicine and Health Science, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway 11. Cancer Clinic, St. Olavs Hospital, Trondheim University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway

E-post: Bardo.Driller@helse-mr.no; maienboc@tcd.ie; ea@ntnu.no; adriana_kol@yahoo.com; Bente.TalsethPalmer@health.nsw.gov.au; Torstein.Hole@helse-mr.no; kjeer-st@online.no; anne.tove.brenne@ntnu.no

Introduction Attitudes towards advanced cancer can significantly affect patients’ experiences, especially as they grapple with a mix of emotions at different stages of their illness. Acknowledging the limited time left to live, this study aims to delve into patients’ attitudes towards their disease.

Method Employing a qualitative design, we conducted individual, semi-structured interviews with 12 participants receiving palliative care for cancer. Each participant had an estimated lifetime of under 3 months. Data analysis utilized reflexive thematic analysis.

Results During the analysis process, two prominent themes emerged:

1. Existential Resilience: Participants frequently expressed the sentiment of “taking it as it comes.” This attitude reflected acceptance towards unfolding situations without excessive intervention or unnecessary worry. Living in the moment emerged as paramount, emphasizing the importance of not allowing thoughts of dying to dominate everyday life. Uncertainty around dying extended beyond the dying process itself. Hope emerged as a crucial factor for participants.

2. The Twilight Zone of Dialogue: Participants faced communication challenges, including desired, essential, and unsolicited information exchanges with family, friends, and healthcare personnel (HCP). Broaching sensitive topics related to serious illness proved difficult, leading to withdrawal. Participants preferred consistent communication with HCPs rather than contradictory information.

Conclusion Existential resilience plays a pivotal role in helping advanced cancer patients navigate the uncertainty of end-of-life (EoL). Simultaneously, hope serves as an illuminating force, guiding their path through the challenging journey. However, effectively addressing EoL matters requires sensitive dialogue, presenting challenges for patients in interactions with both loved ones and HCPs.