ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: This was to describe the emotions that patients face when diagnosed with cancer to know the problems and coping styles that cancer patients experience during the treatment. METHOD: The qualitative method was used for this study. The participants were 90 cancer patients at five general hospital in Pusan, Korea. Data were collected by interviews with a semi-structured questionnaire from November 2000 to June 2001, and were analyzed using the modified constant comparative method. RESULT: The most common emotions on the diagnosis of cancer were shock(36.7%), followed by despair(25.6%), acceptance(24.4%), denial(18.9%), complaint(16.7%), and fear(8.9%). The problems identified were the unpleasantness and physical discomfort related with the treatment(50.0%), the feelings of burden(41.1%), finance/occupation(38.8%), and fear of the future(26.6%). Coping styles to problems that the subjects have faced on the course of the treatment were compliance(36.6%), health care(31.1%), positive thinking(22.2%), despair/avoidance(15.5%), seeking social support(6.6%), information seeking(3.3%) and self-control(2.2%). CONCLUSION: It is very important to develop nursing interventions which can mitigate shock that patients experience, can help cancer patients to have hope for the future and to positively cope with cancer.