The lived experiences of smokers with lung cancer

Abstract

Objective: The aims of this research were to learn about the lived experiences of patients with lung cancer who smoke tobacco and to provide nurses with more insights into complexities of people’s relationship with their smoking.

Methods: Descriptive phenomenology was used to explore the lived experiences of smokers with lung cancer. An in-depth unstructured conversational style interview was used as a method for data collection. The study was conducted in the inpatient, outpatient, and day care units at the National Center for Cancer Care and Research (NCCCR) in Qatar. Purposive sampling was used to recruit five lung cancer patients who smoke. Colaizzi’s (1978) method was used to analyze data.

Results: Participants described three related themes: (a) fate, (b) a socially acceptable addiction, and (c) self-blame and guilt.

Conclusions: The findings of this study are of interest to nurses and physicians who work with lung cancer patients. The findings provide insight into experiences of patients who continue to smoke after their lung cancer diagnosis. Nurses within the smoking cessation clinic will also benefit from patients’ descriptions of what they consider useful and supportive in regards to an empathetic, coaching response to their relationships with tobacco. Future study is needed to elucidate nurses' perception on lung cancer patients who continue to smoke.