Exploring the Post-Treatment Experiences of Childhood Cancer Survivors

Background: One of the great successes in medicine is the treatment of childhood cancer. Due to the overall increase in the survival rate of individuals with cancer, the disease is now considered a chronic condition (Meeske, Patel, Palmer, Nelson, & Parow, 2007) rather than a terminal illness, drawing tremendous amount of attention toward examining the subjective well-being among cancer patients and survivors. In the Philippines, there is a growing number of childhood cancer survivors, however, they face posttreatment challenges that are given less attention in research in the country. Aim: The study sought to understand the experiences of Filipino childhood cancer survivors, focusing on the challenges, triumphs, and experiences related to postcancer treatment. An awareness and a better understanding of these will likely help psychosocial oncology professionals improve survivors´ level of functioning and quality of life in the posttreatment period. Methods: Using a qualitative design, six focus group disc...