title: Experiences of patients undergoing chemotherapy - a qualitative study of adults attending Uganda Cancer Institute.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cancer is a global public health challenge and how patients in countries with poor healthcare infrastructure experience cancer treatment is largely unknown.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this study was to describe adult Ugandan cancer patients' experiences of undergoing chemotherapy treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using a qualitative descriptive design, seven in-patients with varying cancer diagnoses at the Uganda Cancer Institute were interviewed about their experiences of undergoing chemotherapy treatment; the interviews were transcribed and analysed thematically.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The analysis resulted in nine subthemes, which were categorized under three main themes: 'experiences related to the body', with the subthemes dry and sensitive skin, changes in eating and bowel habits, fever and feelings of abnormal body sensation; 'thoughts and feelings', with four subthemes reflecting the psychosocial impact of chemotherapy; and 'actively dealing with discomfort', with three subthemes describing how patients dealt with side effects, such as by sticking to a diet.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Receiving chemotherapy treatment is difficult, and the side effects negatively influenced patients' bodies and moods. Dealing actively with discomfort and accepting negative impacts in hope of a cure helped the participants manage the acute complications related to the treatment. We recommend the development of interventions to ease discomfort due to chemotherapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda.
authors.forename: Peter B
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: Wampaalu
authors.affiliation: Department of Learning, Informatics, Management and Ethics, Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Sweden; Department of Infectious Diseases, Karolinska University H ospital, Stockholm, Sweden; School of Health Sciences, City University London, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Lars E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Eriksson
authors.affiliation: Uganda Cancer Institute, Kampala, Uganda.
authors.forename: Allen
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Naamala
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda.
authors.forename: Rose C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Nabirye
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurobiology, Care Science and Society, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Sweden.
authors.forename: Lena
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wettergren
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D036301:Qualitative Research; D014454:Uganda
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents
keywords: Cancer; chemotherapy; experiences; nursing; qualitative