The Looming Cancer: A Qualitative Study on the Experience of Living with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) before the Initiation of Treatment.

CHRONIC lymphocytic leukemia treatment; CHRONIC lymphocytic leukemia; SUPPORT groups; QUALITATIVE research; PSYCHOLOGICAL distress; RESEARCH funding; INTERVIEWING; PSYCHOLOGICAL adaptation; ANXIETY; UNCERTAINTY; JUDGMENT sampling; DESCRIPTIVE statistics; EMOTIONS; EXPERIENCE; THEMATIC analysis; RESEARCH methodology; COMMUNICATION; CANCER patient psychology; NEEDS assessment; PHENOMENOLOGY; SOCIAL support

Purpose. This study aimed to study the challenges and ways of coping with living with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) before the initiation of treatment. Methods. Semistructured interviews were carried out with 8 people living with CLL (4 males and 4 females) who had never received any treatment. Interpretative phenomenological analysis was utilized for the analysis of the data. Results. The following three themes were developed: (1) "Still waters run deep" highlights the contrast between living with minimal symptoms while experiencing high anxiety for the future, (2) "Surviving uncertainty" portrays participants' supportive networks, communication challenges, and internal coping mechanisms to face the threatening overtones of CLL, and (3) "Turning over a new leaf" delineates participants' realization of life's finiteness and the way this acts as a nudge for psychological growth. Conclusion. Despite the limited physical discomfort, the CLL diagnosis and the watch-and-wait phase bring about psychological distress, which drives meaning-making efforts and an array of coping mechanisms, potentially leading to posttraumatic growth processes for people living with CLL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of European Journal of Cancer Care is the property of Hindawi Limited and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)