title: The experience of patients with cancer who develop venous thromboembolism: an exploratory study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To better understand the experience of venous thromboembolism (VTE) from the points of view of patients with cancer during various stages of the cancer experience.
  
  
  METHODS
  Qualitative, descriptive.
  
  
  METHODS
  Various inpatient and outpatient units of a large urban university-affiliated hospital in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
  
  
  METHODS
  Purposive sample of 10 participants who were anticipating, had recently undergone, or were currently undergoing cancer treatment and who had received a VTE diagnosis within the past year.
  
  
  METHODS
  Semistructured interviews were transcribed verbatim. Thematic analysis of data revealed themes contributing to understanding the lived experience of VTE during cancer care.
  
  
  METHODS
  The experience of patients with cancer who develop VTE.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients' initial reaction to VTE included VTE as a life-threat, past experience with VTE, and VTE as the "cherry on the sundae" in light of other cancer-related health issues. Patients' coping with VTE also included three themes: VTE being overshadowed by unresolved cancer-related concerns, VTE as a setback in cancer care, and attitudes about VTE treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study contributes new insight into the experience of patients with cancer who develop VTE. The most salient finding was that patients having no prior VTE knowledge experienced VTE as more challenging. Future studies comparing experiences with VTE across the various stages of cancer care are needed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Study findings suggest that patient education about VTE would be useful for the initial reaction and subsequent coping phases of VTE, thus representing an important target area for nursing intervention.
authors.affiliation: Montreal General Hospital, McGill University Health Center, Quebec, Canada. alison.mockler@mail.mcgill.ca
authors.forename: Alison
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mockler
authors.forename: Brigit
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: O'Brien
authors.forename: Jessica
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Emed
authors.forename: Gina
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ciccotosto
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001294:Attitude to Health; D005239:Fear / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000451:nursing / Q000523:psychology; D009723:Nurse-Patient Relations; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D009859:Oncology Nursing / Q000379:methods*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D054556:Venous Thromboembolism / Q000150:complications / Q000451:nursing / Q000523:psychology