QUALITOP: Quality of life of patients undergoing immunotherapy for cancer: burden of treatment and expectations to improve patient care
Résumé
Since the last decade, immunotherapy as brought significant advances in cancer treatment. While this treatment seems promising regarding its side effects, its impact on quality of life may be underestimated. The objective of our study was to understand the quality of life of cancer patients treated with immunotherapy. This exploration was based on exploring patients' experiences of treatment, examining their needs at different levels, and co-constructing perspectives for improving their care. Data were collected through 6 focus groups involving 3 to 6 cancer patients treated with immunotherapy. The focus groups were structured around the collective completion of a tool dedicated to identifying needs and perspectives to improve the care of the participants.
The corpus was analysed through a Reflexive Thematic Analysis that resulted on 5 main themes: Side effects, Medical care of the cancer and side effects, Needs in caregiver-patient relationships, Social relationships and social support, and Everyday Life.
Cancer and its care tended to be perceived as a global experience by the patients, so immunotherapy was seen as embedded in a global entity. Discussions were largely devoted to side effects. They tended to be various in intensity, severity, frequency, number and type, through the patients and so their perceptions have been discussed. Participants expressed many wishes and needs regarding their care, particularly with regard to their relationship with caregivers, the state of conventional medicine, supportive care and complementary treatments. Social relationships were consensually perceived as important in overcoming the challenges of the disease and its management. Also, immunotherapy could socially impacts the patients through the external recognition of the pathology because the treatment is invisible. Finally, immonotherapy as cancer treatment has consequences for participants' everyday life despite the fact that it was seen with a lower impact than some other treatments.
In conclusion, immunotherapy is still a challenge for patients medically, as well as socially and is lived through the cancer experience as a whole.
This work can help te reconsider the management of cancer care and patient-centred perspectives.