“I'm learning to live after cancer and its treatment”: Exploring the challenges of cancer survivorship in Arkansas

Purpose

This study explores challenges faced by a large, diverse sample of cancer survivors who received care in the rural state of Arkansas to provide holistic insight into the quality of survivorship.

Methods

We used a theory-driven exploratory descriptive design to explore cancer survivors’ (n = 519) biggest cancer-related challenges.

Results

Cancer survivors’ challenges were organized using a priori domains from the Quality of Survival framework: quality of life, survival, managing the side effects, and managing the economic impact. Nearly half (48.4%) of all responses identified challenges related to quality of life, and 39.7% of all responses focused on the challenges of managing the side effects of cancer and its treatment. Managing the economic impact (6.9%) and survival (4.9%) were also identified as challenges by survivors.

Conclusions

Survivors faced a range of challenges from cancer and its treatment. Survivors primarily faced psychosocial challenges, issues with ongoing care, and physical and/or functional sequelae. Managing the economic impact and financial toxicity of cancer treatment and surviving cancer and its treatment were less frequently identified among the challenges faced by survivors.

Implications for cancer survivors

Our analysis highlights the importance of understanding the psychosocial and physical sequelae of cancer and its treatment. Our research helps fill significant gaps in the literature, improving the understanding of rural cancer survivorship. Nuanced understanding of survivors’ experiences, using theory-driven qualitative and mixed-methods approaches, will continue to be critical for developing effective, evidence-based practices to meet the needs of survivors.