Life expectancy in the families of patients with cancer: A qualitative study

BACKGROUND: The family of patient with cancer encounters stresses that are sometimes uncontrollable. One of the strategies to gain control is to deal with such a situation hopefully. Hope plays a key role in coping with the stress associated with cancer. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the experience of hope in the families of patients with cancer. METHODS: This qualitative study was a kind of content analysis. Data was collected via semi-structured interviews from 12 family members of patients with cancer living in Sanandaj City, Iran. All data were recorded, and qualitative content analysis method was used to extract the contents. RESULTS: It was revealed that hope leads to the self-belief, comfort, convenience, and power of individuals. Besides, the families of patients with cancer used several strategies including hope and spirituality that help developing the morale of the patients' families, especially their beliefs. In addition, the results of the qualitative section indicated that the families of patients with cancer participating in the study were adapted to the conditions of these patients. CONCLUSION: In addition to identifying some factors related to hope and coping with the stress caused by having a patient with cancer, this study showed that the families of these patients have achieved an understanding of hope. The survival of hope in these families was revealed by three components including compatibility, self-belief, and moving forward.