title: Identity reconstruction among older cancer survivors: Age and meaning in the context of a life-altering illness.
abstract: This article evaluates how older cancer patients describe cancer survivorship and incorporate the cancer experience into long-term evaluations of health. From a series of 53 qualitative interviews with adults with histories of breast and prostate cancers and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, we analyzed age-related discussions among those 65 and older (n = 21). Emergent themes revealed the: (1) historical conceptualization of cancer, (2) changed perspective following diagnosis, (3) cancer in the context of a long biography, (4) cancer in the context of the aging body and decline, and (5) meaning of time remaining and quality of life. One important suggestion from our work, relevant to all clinicians regardless of specialty or role, is to incorporate goals for the future into individualized survivor care plans for older survivors.
authors.affiliation: a Cancer Epidemiology, Prevention, and Control , Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health , Baltimore , MD , USA.
authors.forename: Susan M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Hannum
authors.affiliation: b Department of Health , Behavior and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health , Baltimore , MD , USA.
authors.forename: Katherine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Clegg Smith
authors.affiliation: c ICF International , Rockville , MD , USA.
authors.forename: Kisha
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Coa
authors.affiliation: d Department of Community Health and Prevention , Drexel University School of Public Health , Philadelphia , PA , USA.
authors.forename: Ann C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Klassen
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology*; D001294:Attitude to Health; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D036301:Qualitative Research; D011788:Quality of Life; D012933:Social Identification; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
keywords: cancer; finitude; life course; older adults; qualitative research; survivorship