Experiencing the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic Whilst Living With Cancer.
Alexander PageAlex BroomKatherine KennyZarnie LwinClaire E WakefieldMalinda ItchinsMustafa KhasrawPublished in: Qualitative health research (2022)
The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has resulted in considerable consequences for many cancer patients, exacerbating pre-existing systemic health system limitations as well as creating new challenges. From socially distanced clinics and the widespread introduction of telehealth, to the halting of clinical trials and the reassessment of what constitutes "essential" treatment, care in oncology has abruptly changed. There is currently limited analysis of cancer patients' experiences of the pandemic and its impacts on illness, wellness, and everyday life. Through semi-structured interviews with 54 people living with cancer during the 2020 phase of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in Australia, we explore how patients experience illness and care in reflecting upon a range of pandemic challenges, including delay, distance, and vulnerability. We find that in some cases, these pandemic conditions redefined the meaning of essential cancer care, reconfigured expectations around clinical trials, constructed new affective distances, and amplified dread and fear for people living with cancer.
Keyphrases
- sars cov
- papillary thyroid
- respiratory syndrome coronavirus
- clinical trial
- coronavirus disease
- palliative care
- squamous cell
- end stage renal disease
- primary care
- squamous cell carcinoma
- ejection fraction
- newly diagnosed
- randomized controlled trial
- lymph node metastasis
- chronic kidney disease
- quality improvement
- bipolar disorder
- wastewater treatment
- peritoneal dialysis
- pain management
- open label
- double blind
- affordable care act
- prefrontal cortex