Exploring the Lived Experiences of Meaning, Pain, and Hope in Cancer Patients Undergoing Combined Therapy
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Abstract
Cancer treatment, as a major domain of pharmacological research, has evolved through significant advances in immunotherapy and chemotherapy, yet its human dimension remains underexplored. Within this growing field, limited attention has been given to the lived experiences of patients undergoing combined cancer therapies and the meanings they construct through their treatment journeys. What remains insufficiently understood is how patients interpret their embodied suffering, resilience, and spiritual transformation in response to pharmacological interventions. The primary objective of this study is to explore how individuals undergoing combined immunotherapy and chemotherapy make sense of their treatment experiences, focusing specifically on how they reconstruct personal meaning, cope with pain, and sustain hope amid clinical uncertainty. This study employs an interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) to explore how individuals undergoing combined immunotherapy and chemotherapy make sense of their treatment experiences and reconstruct personal meaning amid pain and uncertainty. Data were collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews with ten participants, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed thematically using IPA to uncover patterns of embodiment, pain, hope, and spiritual renewal. The findings reveal that treatment is experienced as an existential negotiation between the body’s vulnerability and the mind’s search for meaning, where healing transcends clinical success to include psychological and spiritual dimensions. This research highlights that patients’ healing experiences are not limited to physiological outcomes but encompass broader existential and emotional renewal. However, the study acknowledges several limitations. The small sample size restricts generalizability, and participants were drawn from a single clinical setting, which may limit contextual diversity. Future research should expand participant demographics and explore longitudinal dimensions of patient adaptation to therapy. This phenomenological insight bridges the gap between pharmacological efficacy and lived human experience, emphasizing the need for holistic, patient-centered approaches in cancer care. By integrating these insights, the study contributes to the ongoing dialogue between pharmacology and the human sciences, offering a foundation for more compassionate and interdisciplinary models of cancer treatment.
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