title: Taking care of second cancer risk.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cancer survivors are living longer and are at greater risk of developing cancer than the general population. Promotion of healthy lifestyle behaviors and provision of regular follow-up care may modify the evolution of a second cancer diagnosis. Little is known, however, about cancer survivors' decision making and actions related to modifying second cancer risk.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Part of a larger mixed-method study of second cancer risk, qualitative interview data were collected to arrive at an interpretive description of how cancer survivors modify their second cancer risk, and how nurses and other healthcare professionals can best support survivors throughout the cancer survival trajectory.
  
  
  METHODS
  Semistructured interviews were conducted with 22 cancer survivors (16 women and 6 men) drawn from a provincial cancer registry. The cancer survivors ranged in age from 19 to 87 years. The cancer history of the participants varied. Data were analyzed using the constant comparative method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Two themes that emerged from the interviews that speak to how cancer survivors modified their second cancer risk were (1) how I take care of my second cancer risk and (2) support I need to take care of my second cancer risk.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  For many cancer survivors, awareness of the benefits of taking care of second cancer risk does not translate into action.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Study findings reinforce that more needs to be done in supporting cancer survivors in taking care of second cancer risk.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Nursing, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, NB, Canada. kwilkins@unb.ca
authors.forename: Krista L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Wilkins
authors.forename: Roberta L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Woodgate
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D016609:Neoplasms, Second Primary / Q000517:prevention & control*; D009723:Nurse-Patient Relations; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012306:Risk; D012944:Social Support; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult