Abstract
Little is known about how patient's experience-based knowledge and advice after oesophageal cancer surgery may contribute to the understanding of how to improve HRQOL for future patients. In this study the advice that patients who were surgically treated for oesophageal cancer would like to share to future peers, based on their lived experiences were examined. A qualitative inductive content analysis was used to analyse one open-ended question from 63 transcribed interviews performed during 2019, within the nationwide Swedish prospective cohort study OSCAR (Oesophageal Surgery on Cancer patients - Adaption and Recovery study). Patients had a broad range of advice to give from their experiences of oesophageal cancer surgery and recovery thereafter. Based on the analysis, three main categories were identified on the advice they wanted to pass on to future peers; health promoting advice, acknowledging the new situation, and advice on embracing support from others. The importance of being physically active, to maintain a positive mind set and to embrace support from both health care professionals as well as family and friends were central experiences that former patients wanted to share with their future peers. This study sheds a light on the experiences that patients who have undergone oesophageal cancer surgery have, and what advice they would give to future patients going through the same procedure. The analysis reveals that patients have a variety of advice from their experiences that they want to pass on to future patients. Further studies are needed in order to examine how these advice are received by and can benefit future patients, as well as the pathways of how peer advice is best communicated.
Highlights
Oesophageal cancer is affecting a large number of people around the world
The aim of this study was to examine the advice that patients who had oesophageal cancer surgery would like to share to future patients, based on their lived experiences
The importance of physical activity The analysis revealed that patients who had gone through oesophageal cancer surgery underlined the importance of being physically active, both pre and post operatively
Summary
Oesophageal cancer is affecting a large number of people around the world. During one year around 500,000 people will receive an oeso phageal cancer diagnosis (World Cancer Research Fund, 2019) and it is the sixth most common cause of cancer deaths globally (Bray et al, 2018).The standard curative treatment for oesophageal cancer is surgery (esophagectomy), often in combination with chemo and/or radio therapy (Lagergren et al, 2017). The surgery is a major procedure, involving removing large parts of the oesophagus and replacing it by forming the remaining part of the stomach into a tube (Lagergren and Lagergren, 2013). It is a substantial procedure, followed by a long recovery time and for some, with negative consequences for health and health related quality of life. Patients who receive surgical treatment for oesophageal cancer are provided with informa tion about the procedure and recovery from health care professionals. Doctors tend to underestimate the overall information needs of patients with oesophageal cancer both in connec tion to diagnosis and after surgery (Wittmann et al, 2011; Andreassen et al, 2006)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
