The cognition and experience of concurrent radio-chemotherapy in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC):a qualitative research

Objective To investigate concurrent radio-chemotherapy patients with NPC over the same cognition and experience in order to provide effective intervention and implementation measures of improving the patients physical and mental rehabilitation. Methods Semi-structured interviews were conducted to a total of 13 patients with NPC in a major hospital in Nanning and the data were explored via Colaizzi seven-step analysis. Results The perception of concurrent radiochemotherapy patients could be classified into 3 themes:the cognitive confusion by knowing the nature of concurrent radio-chemotherapy; experiencing fear by the same period of concurrent radio-chemotherapy patients; expecting treatment because of effective treatments of other patients. The experience of concurrent radio-chemotherapy could be extracted into 6themes:taking active measures to prevent the toxic and side effect; having great pressure of the concurrent radio-chemotherapy; unable to finish the whole therapy; hoping for a quick end; looking forward to exchanges with the outside; expecting information of the progress and prognosis. Conclusion The concurrent radio-chemotherapy patients have continuous and dynamic cognition coexisting with various experience. The patients' mental state and quality of life lowered along with the toxic and side effects in concurrent radio-chemotherapy, so nursing staff should provide individualized, comprehensive supportive care to eliminate the patient's fear, anxiety and help shift patients mood from negative to positive; strengthen the protection and the treatment of patients with education, establishing the confidence of patients; enhance the effect of family, society and medical support system, encouraging family members to participate, thus to promote the patients' psychological health and improve their quality of life.