A Qualitative Study of Caregivers' Experiences With Newly Diagnosed Advanced Colorectal Cancer

Purpose/Objectives: To report on a descriptive, qualitative study of 14 caregivers of patients newly diagnosed with advanced colorectal cancer.

Research Approach: Qualitative.

Setting: One urban ambulatory cancer center in the northeastern United States.

Participants: 14 identified caregivers of patients newly diagnosed with stage III or IV colorectal cancer.

Methodologic Approach: Semistructured interviews were taped recorded. Interviewers asked participants to describe their experiences caring for a loved one with colorectal cancer. Thematic content analysis with inductive coding was used to code the transcribed interview data. Throughout the data-coding process, emics in each category were compared within and between categories to maximize the fit of participants' data. Categories were reviewed in a final stage of analysis and further organized into domains from which the core category was derived.

Main Research Variables: Caregiver experiences of living with a person with colorectal cancer, effect on daily living, coping strategies used, and effect on children.

Findings: The coded interview data yielded three domains: Experiencing Total Disruption of My Life, Staying Positive, and Attempting to Keep Family and Children's Routines as Normal as Possible. The core category that explained study participants' caregiving experiences was "balancing caregiving activities and disruptions while dealing positively with daily demands and personal impact."

Conclusions: The dominant experiences of the participants focused on coming to terms with the disease's disruption in their lives, attempting to deal positively with the effect of the disease, and maintaining normalcy in family life.

Interpretation: Targeted assessment of caregivers' needs is important in the three dimensions of the study domains. Clinicians who work with caregivers of patients with cancer should offer direct support because caregivers cope with the care of their loved one and struggle with their own distress and with maintaining normal family life. Findings suggest the importance of offering psychosocial support to caregivers and providing guidance to caregivers for support of their children and families.