Positive aspects of having had cancer: A mixed‐methods analysis of responses from the American Cancer Society Study of Cancer Survivors‐II (SCS‐II)

Adorno, Gail; López, Ellen D. S.; Burg, Mary Ann; Loerzel, Victoria; Killian, Michael; Dailey, Amy B.; Iennaco, Joanne; Wallace, Cara L.; Sharma, Dinghy Kristine B.; Stein, Kevin

doi:10.1002/pon.4484

Cited by 15 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 39 publications

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“…The mean score on the PII‐faith was 13.3 (5.7) with roughly 70% of the sample endorsing at least one item on the scale. Although, apart from Salsman et al, there are no independent reports of the impact of cancer on religious faith, consistent with the current study are the reports of positive changes in the areas of post‐traumatic growth and/or benefit finding following cancer, both of which include one or more aspects of R/S …”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 85%

Examining the impact of cancer on survivors' religious faith: A report from the American Cancer Society study of cancer survivors‐I

et al. 2020

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Objectives The impact of religion/spirituality (R/S) on cancer outcomes, including health‐related quality of life (HRQoL), has been the topic of much investigation. Reports of the opposite, that is, the impact of cancer on R/S and associations with HRQoL, are few. The current study sought to explore the positive and negative impacts of cancer on the religious faith of survivors as well as the associations of such impacts with HRQoL. Methods Participants included 2309 9‐year survivors of cancer from the American Cancer Society's Studies of Cancer Survivors‐I. The impact of cancer on R/S was measured using items from the Patient‐Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) psychosocial impact of illness‐faith, and HRQoL was measured with the 12‐item short form (SF‐12). Hierarchical regressions were used to examine the impact of cancer on R/S controlling for medical and demographic covariates. Results Consistent with hypotheses, the majority of survivors (70%) reported that cancer had a positive impact on religious faith, while the negative impact of cancer on religious faith was relatively rare (17%). In multivariable models, the negative impact of cancer on faith was associated with poorer HRQoL, both mental and physical, while the positive impact of cancer on faith was associated with greater mental well‐being. Conclusions Cancer has a negative impact on religious faith for a minority of survivors. However, when it is reported, such negative impact is indicative of poorer mental and physical well‐being. As such, it is important to identify those survivors at risk early in survivorship and provide support and intervention as needed.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 85%

Examining the impact of cancer on survivors' religious faith: A report from the American Cancer Society study of cancer survivors‐I

et al. 2020

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“…Patients of both genders have conveyed the importance of compassion when coping with their illness. 16,27,28 The present study found that women expressed more compassion in response to NIH-HEALS, suggesting that perhaps women in our sample may more readily identify compassion for others in their healing process than men. However, this does not mean that this construct is unimportant in men.…”

Section: Gender Differences and Healingmentioning

confidence: 46%

“…Both men and women endorsed Medical Support items that describe support and reliable relationships with medical care providers. 16 The difference between genders in the Reflection & Introspection factor of NIH-HEALS in the present study was due to differences in response to four items that capture compassion, gratitude, enjoyment of activities that involve the mind and body, and a desire to be more positive. Patients of both genders have conveyed the importance of compassion when coping with their illness.…”

Section: Gender Differences and Healingmentioning

confidence: 62%

“…15 In terms of well-being, men and women identified different positive aspects of their illness in a qualitative study of over 5000 cancer patients from the American Cancer Society Study of Cancer Survivors-II (SCS-II). 16 The positive aspects reported by women in the SCS-II include recognizing the importance of: appreciation for life, living in the present, reprioritizing what matters most in life, social support networks, developing or deepening of spirituality and existential beliefs, and finding meaning in relationships. However, the men in this study reported other positive aspects of their illness, such as feeling pleasantly surprised and grateful that their experience with cancer was better than expected and the follow-up medical surveillance of health status after the illness had been treated.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Gender Differences in Psycho-Social-Spiritual Healing

Luna

Ameli

Sinaii

et al. 2019

Journal of Women's Health

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Background: Many individuals exhibit significant distress in response to serious and/or life-limiting illness. However, there are others who make life-transforming changes, which involve healing experiences in the psychological, social, and spiritual domains of life regardless of illness outcome. The aim of the present study is to determine if there are any differences in psycho-social-spiritual healing between genders. Materials and Methods: The NIH Healing Experiences in All Life Stressors (NIH-HEALS), a 35-item measure of psycho-social-spiritual healing, is composed of three factors: Connection, Reflection & Introspection, and Trust & Acceptance. NIH-HEALS and a demographic questionnaire were administered to 193 patients with serious and/or life-limiting illness at the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center. Results: In response to NIH-HEALS, men and women significantly differed on the Reflection & Introspection factor. Women reported increased enjoyment of mind-body practices (p < 0.001), compassion (p = 0.005), gratitude (p = 0.014), and a desire to be more positive (p = 0.044) compared to men. Men rated their pain levels (p = 0.035) and severity of illness (p = 0.016) higher and their overall level of health (p = 0.010) poorer compared to women. Women's responses to items regarding compassion (r s = 0.37, p < 0.001) and gratitude (r s = 0.24, p = 0.015) correlated positively with better overall health ratings. Conclusion: Men and women show some differences in their self-reported psycho-social-spiritual healing, which may have implications when designing interventions aimed at promoting a healing experience in the context of serious and life-limiting illness.

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“…Post‐traumatic growth is a term used to describe the positive consequences that emerge through the processing of a traumatic experience that lead to subsequent growth and personal development (Calhoun & Tedeschi, ). The American Cancer Society Study of Cancer Survivors‐II ( n = 5,149) found that gratitude and appreciation for life were the most frequently endorsed themes (Adorno et al, ). In some studies, the majority of adolescent cancer survivors report personal growth (Barakat, Alderfer, & Kazak, ), including long‐term survivors of osteosarcoma (Barakat et al, ; Yonemoto et al, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Identifying bone sarcoma survivors facing psychosocial challenges. A study of trajectories following treatment

et al. 2019

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Objective Bone sarcoma survivors face a number of physical and psychosocial challenges in relation to the late effects they experience following treatment. The present study aimed to identify and explore the different trajectories that bone sarcoma survivors might navigate during follow‐up. Methods In‐depth and semi‐structured interviews were conducted, and an inductive thematic analysis was performed. Results When they were interviewed three to ten years after the primary diagnosis, the eighteen bone cancer survivors were found to be in three different rehabilitation phases that followed fairly distinct trajectories, namely, back to normal, a new normal and still struggling. Only three participants felt that they had returned to a life that was quite similar to the one they had lived prior to having cancer. Fifteen participants considered their lives and their bodies to be significantly altered. Conclusion Sarcoma survivors who undergo life‐changing treatment and return to very different lives than they had before should be identified by healthcare professionals and guided through this demanding phase to better cope with their new living conditions. Information on and tailored guidance related to psychosocial challenges may be of particular importance. Active focus on reorientation, as well as possibilities for growth, seems to be important.

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Positive aspects of having had cancer: A mixed‐methods analysis of responses from the American Cancer Society Study of Cancer Survivors‐II (SCS‐II)

Cited by 15 publications

References 39 publications

Examining the impact of cancer on survivors' religious faith: A report from the American Cancer Society study of cancer survivors‐I

Examining the impact of cancer on survivors' religious faith: A report from the American Cancer Society study of cancer survivors‐I

Gender Differences in Psycho-Social-Spiritual Healing

Identifying bone sarcoma survivors facing psychosocial challenges. A study of trajectories following treatment

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