Not as simple as “fear of the unknown”: a qualitative study exploring anxiety in the radiotherapy department
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Objective:
Little is understood about the anxiety experienced by cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy or investigative imaging. Our aim was to identify sources of anxiety, the points along the cancer journey where anxiety occurred and methods to alleviate it.
Methods:
Six focus groups were conducted with cancer patients (n = 17), caregivers (n = 3) and healthcare practitioners (HCPs; n = 10) in the radiotherapy department. Patients described specific elements in the care pathway which induced anxiety, while HCPs focused on their perception of the patient experience. Thematic analysis was used to analyse data.
Results:
Three broad themes emerged: The Environment, The Individual and The Unknown. The physical environment of the hospital, inside the scanner for example, emerged as a key source of anxiety. The impact of cancer on patients' individual lives was significant, with many feeling isolated. The majority of participants described anxiety associated with the unknown. HCPs reported difficulty in identifying the anxious patient.
Conclusions:
Anxiety is experienced throughout the cancer pathway. Common sources include the physical environment and the uncertainty associated with having cancer. Identifying both anxiety-inducing factors, and the anxious patients themselves, is crucial to enable targeted interventions to alleviate anxiety.
Little is understood about the anxiety experienced by cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy or investigative imaging. Our aim was to identify sources of anxiety, the points along the cancer journey where anxiety occurred and methods to alleviate it.
Methods:
Six focus groups were conducted with cancer patients (n = 17), caregivers (n = 3) and healthcare practitioners (HCPs; n = 10) in the radiotherapy department. Patients described specific elements in the care pathway which induced anxiety, while HCPs focused on their perception of the patient experience. Thematic analysis was used to analyse data.
Results:
Three broad themes emerged: The Environment, The Individual and The Unknown. The physical environment of the hospital, inside the scanner for example, emerged as a key source of anxiety. The impact of cancer on patients' individual lives was significant, with many feeling isolated. The majority of participants described anxiety associated with the unknown. HCPs reported difficulty in identifying the anxious patient.
Conclusions:
Anxiety is experienced throughout the cancer pathway. Common sources include the physical environment and the uncertainty associated with having cancer. Identifying both anxiety-inducing factors, and the anxious patients themselves, is crucial to enable targeted interventions to alleviate anxiety.
Date Issued
2022-03-01
Date Acceptance
2022-01-26
Citation
European Journal of Cancer Care, 2022, 31 (2)
ISSN
0961-5423
Publisher
Wiley
Journal / Book Title
European Journal of Cancer Care
Volume
31
Issue
2
Copyright Statement
© 2022 The Authors. European Journal of Cancer Care published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited and is not used for commercial purposes.
This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited and is not used for commercial purposes.
License URL
Subjects
Science & Technology
Life Sciences & Biomedicine
Oncology
Health Care Sciences & Services
Nursing
Rehabilitation
anxiety
cancer
healthcare
qualitative
radiotherapy
unknown
STAFF PERCEPTIONS
CANCER
PATIENT
anxiety
cancer
healthcare
qualitative
radiotherapy
unknown
Anxiety
Caregivers
Fear
Humans
Palliative Care
Qualitative Research
Humans
Palliative Care
Anxiety
Fear
Qualitative Research
Caregivers
Oncology & Carcinogenesis
1110 Nursing
1112 Oncology and Carcinogenesis
1117 Public Health and Health Services
Publication Status
Published
Article Number
ARTN e13564
Date Publish Online
2022-02-21