Lived Experiences of Cancer Patients Managing Treatment Side Effects through Personalized Pharmacotherapy
Main Article Content
Abstract
Cancer treatment often leads to significant side effects that impact patients' quality of life. While personalized pharmacotherapy has been shown to improve clinical outcomes, less is known about its emotional and psychological effects on patients. This study seeks to explore the lived experiences of cancer patients managing treatment side effects through personalized pharmacotherapy, addressing the gap in understanding how individualized treatments influence patients' emotional well-being. We use a phenomenological approach to gain insights into how cancer patients perceive and cope with treatment side effects and how personalized care affects their overall experience. Data were collected through in-depth, semi-structured interviews with seven cancer patients undergoing personalized pharmacotherapy, and the transcripts were analyzed using thematic analysis to identify recurring patterns and meanings. The analysis revealed that personalized treatment significantly enhances patients' sense of control and emotional well-being, helping them better manage side effects and improving their quality of life. These findings highlight the importance of integrating personalized pharmacotherapy into cancer treatment plans while acknowledging limitations such as the small sample size and single-center recruitment, which may restrict generalizability. Future studies with larger and more diverse populations are needed to validate and expand these findings.
Article Details
Section
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
References
Adewale, O. O., Wińska, P., Adamczuk, P., Grzechnik, E., & Cieśla, J. (2025). Comparative evaluation of anticancer activity of sugar-rich and crude Moringa Oleifera Lam. Seed extracts in MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 352. Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2025.120258
Almeida, C. F., Valente, M. J., Teixeira, N., Rocha, S., Ribeiro, A. P., Vinggaard, A. M., Correia-da-Silva, G., & Amaral, C. (2025). Cannabinol improves exemestane efficacy in estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer models: A comparative study with cannabidiol. European Journal of Pharmacology, 1000. Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejphar.2025.177712
Bhatnagar, A., Tripathi, A. D., Kumari, S., & Mishra, A. (2025). Cadmium sulfide nanoparticles (CdSNPs) modulate key oncogenic pathways in PA1 ovarian cancer cells: Insights from transcriptomic analysis. Toxicology in Vitro, 107. Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tiv.2025.106079
Break, M. K. B., Hussein, W., Alafnan, D., Almutairi, H. O., Katamesh, A. A., & Alshammari, M. D. (2025). Achillea fragrantissima (Forssk.) Sch. Bip. Essential oil inhibits the growth of pancreatic cancer cells via induction of necrosis, sub-G1 arrest, modulation of β-catenin/ERK signalling pathways and p38α MAPK, CDK2, EGFR inhibition. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 352. Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2025.120201
Deng, B., Kong, Y., Ma, Y., Zhan, Y., Sun, Y., Wang, R., Huang, P., & Liu, L. (2025). A novel carrier-free nanoparticle with stable distinctive three-dimensional structure for tumor-targeted precision chemoimmunotherapy. Journal of Nanobiotechnology, 23(1). Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12951-025-03568-8
Eissa, S. M., Mahfouz, A. M., El-Gendy, S. M., Zakaria, A.-S., Effat, H., & Mohamed, H. R. H. (2025). Apoptosis induction and tumor growth suppression by hydroxyapatite nanoparticles–cisplatin combined treatment in Ehrlich solid carcinoma-bearing mice. Beni-Suef University Journal of Basic and Applied Sciences, 14(1). Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1186/s43088-025-00595-0
El-Haggar, R., Alsantali, R. I., Aboshanab, A. M., Alkabbani, M. A., Mansour, Y. E., Fatahala, S. S., & Masurier, N. (2025). Amino acid–modified chalcone derivatives with in vitro and in vivo efficacy against colon cancer. European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 297. Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejmech.2025.117963
Fiandaca, G., Campanile, E., Leonardelli, L., Pettinà, E., Giampiccolo, S., Carstens, E. J., Dasti, L., Zangani, N., & Marchetti, L. (2025). A multiscale physiologically based pharmacokinetic model to support mRNA-encoded BiTE therapy in cancer treatment. Molecular Therapy Nucleic Acids, 36(3). Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.omtn.2025.102606
Fife, W. (2020). Counting as a Qualitative Method: Grappling with the Reliability Issue in Ethnographic Research (p. 140). Springer International Publishing; Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-34803-8
Fu, Y., Hao, H., Fang, Y., Sun, S., Wen, S., Liu, Y., Tang, J., Wang, T., & Wu, M. (2025). Copper Peroxide-Ring Stabilized Bicelle Loaded with GSH-Responsive Derivative of Doxorubicin to Induce Amplified Cuproptosis. Advanced Healthcare Materials, 14(18). Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1002/adhm.202500691
Fu, Y., Yan, S., Sun, J., Huang, J., Yang, C., Li, W., & Wang, Y. (2025). A dual-strategy nanomicelle based on starvation therapy for enhancing tumor immunogenicity. Journal of Drug Delivery Science and Technology, 112. Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jddst.2025.107280
Gao, Y., Li, J., Ye, Z., Dong, G., Cheng, M., Liu, W., Wang, X., Hou, L., Xia, C., & Liu, T. (2025). Achieving dual-target fluorescent probes for tracing and inhibiting BRD4/PLK1 in tumor cells and tissues synchronously. European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 296. Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejmech.2025.117886
Guan, L., Tao, S., Lu, X., Jiang, Y., Xu, K., Peng, J., Shen, W., Guo, G., Shen, Z., & Ru, J. (2025). A Lysosome-Targeted Iridium(III) Complex Inducing Pyroptosis for Enhanced Sonodynamic Therapy of Colorectal Cancer. Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 68(13), 14008–14018. Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jmedchem.5c01106
Guo, S., Guan, T., Tai, R., Ma, L., Ke, Y., Ye, J., Chen, H., Pan, Y., Ning, X., Shi, X., Deng, Z., Xiao, Y., Deng, S., Chen, P., Li, Z., Qiu, X., Fan, K., Shen, Z., & Ou, C. (2025). A nuclei bombing nano-system improves STING-activated cancer immunotherapy. Nano Today, 63. Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nantod.2025.102749
He, C., Shi, C., Fang, M., Chang, P., Hou, P., Zhang, Y., & Li, J. (2025). Amplifying STING activation by biomimetic manganese mRNA nanovaccines for local and systemic cancer immunotherapy. Journal of Controlled Release, 383. Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jconrel.2025.113788
Kazuta, N., Nakashima, K., Watanabe, H., & Ono, M. (2025). Development of Novel Integrin αvβ3-Targeted Radioligand for Enhanced Tumor Accumulation. ACS Medicinal Chemistry Letters, 16(7), 1346–1353. Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsmedchemlett.5c00231
Kim, M. S., Nam, I. H., Cha, H. J., & Jo, Y. K. (2025). Bandgap-engineered proteinic near-infrared nanodots for localized precision cancer theranostics. Journal of Nanobiotechnology, 23(1). Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12951-025-03619-0
Li, D., Huang, S., Lai, J., Yang, J., Liu, W., & Yang, R. (2025). Design and synthesis of Riluzole-Ciprofloxacin hybrids as selective MST3 inhibitors for cancer treatment. European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 297. Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejmech.2025.117923
Lim, S. Y., Han, S., Kim, Y., Kim, H., Kim, Y., Park, J.-A., Yun, J., Yong, S.-B., Won, Y.-W., & Lim, K. S. (2025). Advanced breast cancer immunotherapy: Surface modification of NK cells for embedding antibody-drug conjugates. Biomedicine and Pharmacotherapy, 189. Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopha.2025.118245
Liu, J., Chen, S., Li, Z., & Ye, X. (2025). CircCHAF1A induced cellular senescence by enhancing the stability of p21 to suppress gastric cancer progression. Biochemical Pharmacology, 240. Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bcp.2025.117106
Mo, X., Lan, J., Wang, Y., Zhong, H., He, H., Yang, Z., Zhang, S., & Pan, W. (2025). Design of photoactivatable methylene blue-bufalin conjugate for GPX4-targeted degradation to induce ferroptosis-like death in breast cancer therapy. Bioorganic Chemistry, 163. Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bioorg.2025.108629
Moon, J., Lee, J., Nualsanit, T., Ryu, J., & Baek, S. J. (2025). Damnacanthal exerts anti-cancer effects in breast cancer cells via NAG-1 upregulation, CRM1 downregulation, and induction of autophagy. European Journal of Pharmacology, 1000. Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejphar.2025.177734
Pei, M., Guan, X., Hou, X., Niu, Z., Lyu, Q., Wang, K., Wang, S., Zhang, J., Ke, Y., Zhuang, S., Chen, J., Xu, H., & Yang, F. (2025). A GSH-consuming polymeric nanoparticles drives ferroptosis amplification and combines chemotherapy to amplify breast cancer treatment. Journal of Nanobiotechnology, 23(1). Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12951-025-03569-7
Sharma, S., Kawish, S. M., Gupta, P., Jain, S., Ahmad, S., Iqbal, Z., Vohora, D., & Kohli, K. (2025). Co-delivery of Exemestane and Genistein via Chitosan Coated Liposomes for Enhanced Antitumor Effect and Bone Loss Prevention in Breast Cancer Therapy: In Vivo Evaluation. AAPS PharmSciTech, 26(6). Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1208/s12249-025-03163-y
Shen, Z., Jiang, H., Lu, S., Tian, H., Gao, F., Deng, H., & Huang, C. (2025). Curcumin-based polymer prodrug nanoplatform for high-efficiency immunotherapy by synergistically suppression of head and neck cancer cell stemness. Journal of Nanobiotechnology, 23(1). Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12951-025-03559-9
Song, H., Montesdeoca, N., Efanova, E., Li, X., Karges, J., Xiao, H., Shang, K., & Zhang, H. (2025). A cGAS-STING pathway activating cobalt(III) cyclam prodrug for combined chemotherapy and immunotherapy of breast cancer. Journal of Controlled Release, 384. Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jconrel.2025.113942
Su, T., Shi, Z., Tan, J., Liu, L., Zhao, B., Fan, X., Wang, C., Kwan, H.-Y., & Liu, Z. (2025). Casticin activates Rheb GTPase by binding to residue Trp141 and induces tumor senescence. Pharmacological Research, 218. Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.phrs.2025.107855
Sukumar, D., Sreekumar, T., Smitha Mohan, P. V., Shaji, K., & Athulya, A. (2025). An Ayurvedic intervention for pseudomyxoma peritonei—A case report. Journal of Ayurveda and Integrative Medicine, 16(5). Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaim.2025.101166
Tan, J., Zhu, D., Li, G., Hu, H., Lai, Z., & Li, Z. (2025). A novel theranostic system of PD-L1-Aptamer-functionalized fluorescent silica nanoparticles for triple-negative breast cancer. Nanomedicine: Nanotechnology, Biology, and Medicine, 68. Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nano.2025.102834
Varol, A., Klauck, S. M., Lees-Miller, S. P., & Efferth, T. (2025). Comprehensive transcriptomic analysis in wild-type and ATM knockout lung cancer cells: Influence of cisplatin on oxidative stress-induced senescence. Chemico-Biological Interactions, 418. Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cbi.2025.111563
Wang, X., Zhou, L., Shi, Y., Wang, W., Li, P., Cui, R., Wu, Y., Wang, F., & Du, Q. (2025). Co-embedding of curcumin and gold nanoparticles with ZIF-8 nanoparticles for the treatment of liver cancer and its impact on metabolomics. European Journal of Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics, 214. Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejpb.2025.114773
Wu, Y., Chen, W., Deng, J., Zhou, X., Chen, J., Yang, Z., Cao, X., Liu, J., Tan, Q., Zhou, E., Li, M., Guo, M., & Jin, Y. (2025). Cancer-associated fibroblast-derived extracellular vesicles loaded with GLUT1 inhibitor synergize anti-PD-L1 to suppress tumor growth via degrading matrix stiffness and remodeling tumor microenvironment. Journal of Controlled Release, 385. Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jconrel.2025.113998
Xu, W., Wang, S., Zhang, J., Wang, F., Sun, Z., Liu, B., Ye, J., & Chu, H. (2025). A minimalist self-assembly nanosystem for cancer immunotherapy via multiple immune activation. Journal of Nanobiotechnology, 23(1). Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12951-025-03464-1
Xu, W., Yan, J., Zhong, X., Pan, D., Wang, X., Xu, Y., Wang, L., Chen, C., & Yang, M. (2025). Development and evaluation of a 99mTc-labeled olaparib analog for PARP imaging. EJNMMI Radiopharmacy and Chemistry, 10(1). Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41181-025-00373-4
Yang, Y., Guo, J., Qi, J., Deng, W., Hu, J., Hasan, M. W., Deng, F., Zhou, Y., Song, Z., Deng, W., & Chen, W. (2025). A lyophilizable LNP vaccine enables STING-reinforced postoperational adjuvant immunotherapy. Journal of Nanobiotechnology, 23(1). Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12951-025-03445-4
Yang, Z., Cheng, C., Li, Z., Wang, H., Zhang, M., Xie, E., He, X., Liu, B., Sun, H., Wang, J., Li, X., Liu, D., Lin, X., Li, X., Jiang, P., Lu, L., He, X., Zhan, M., He, K., & Zhao, W. (2025). Advancing liver cancer treatment with dual-targeting CAR-T therapy. Journal of Nanobiotechnology, 23(1). Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12951-025-03512-w
Ye, K., Bao, X., Song, Z., Zhang, M., Wei, S., Zhang, J., & Zhou, L. (2025). A mono-substituted aluminum phthalocyanine photosensitizer with high phototoxicity index for effective bladder cancer treatment. Bioorganic Chemistry, 163. Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bioorg.2025.108730
Zhai, Z., Li, C., Chen, L., Zhao, Y., Tang, X., Cao, L., Sun, H., & Zhong, Z. (2025). Antibody-mediated ratiometric delivery of FLT3 and CDK4/6 dual inhibitors for targeted treatment of acute myeloid leukemia. Journal of Controlled Release, 384. Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jconrel.2025.113934
Zhang, L., Kong, H.-W., Song, X.-Y., Sheng, L.-S., Huang, N.-N., Liu, Y., & Sun, R. (2025). Danggui buxue decoction attenuates doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity by inhibiting ZBP1-mediated PANoptosis in vivo and in vitro. Phytomedicine, 145. Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.phymed.2025.157037
Zhang, M., Zhou, Y., Yang, H., Zheng, G., Ren, L., Zhang, Z., Lin, L., He, Y., Wang, Q., & Zou, J. (2025). Bacteria-based drug-loaded mesoporous silica nanoparticles for synergistic FUAS of breast cancer. Cancer Nanotechnology, 16(1). Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12645-025-00327-0