Surviving with lung cancer: medication-taking and oral targeted therapy.
Oral epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitors (EGFRIs) improve survival for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients; however, medication-taking implications are unknown. We used grounded theory to explore the process of medication-taking for NSCLC patients receiving oral EGFRIs. Thirty-two interviews were conducted for 13 participants purposively selected for gender, race/ethnicity, age, time in therapy, dose reductions, and therapy discontinuation and theoretically sampled for age and health insurance carrier. The study produced a grounded theory, Surviving with Lung Cancer, in which participants framed EGFRI therapy within recognition of NSCLC as a life-limiting illness without cure. Medication-taking was a "window" into participants' process of surviving with metastatic cancer that included deciding and preparing to take EGFRIs and treating lung cancer as a chronic condition. Our results contribute to understanding how NSCLC patients view themselves in the context of a life-limiting illness and support development of a theoretically-based intervention to improve medication-taking with EGFRIs.
University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing, USA; University of Maryland, Baltimore, School of Nursing, USA. Electronic address: wickersham@son.umaryland.edu.
Karen E
KE
Wickersham
University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing, USA; The Ohio State University College of Nursing, USA.
Mary Beth
MB
Happ
University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing, USA.
Catherine M
CM
Bender
University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing, USA.
Sandra J
SJ
Engberg
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, USA.
Ahmad
A
Tarhini
University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing, USA.
Judith A
JA
Erlen
D000284:Administration, Oral; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D010349:Patient Compliance
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents
Epidermal growth factor receptor; Erlotinib; Grounded theory; Medication-taking; Non-small cell lung cancer