RESUMO
PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to discover the structure of the lived experience of suffering of families with cancer patients to develop a theoretical foundation that can be used to reinforce nursing practice for cancer patients and their families. METHODS: A qualitative study was performed using Parse's research method. Participants were four families with cancer patients. From February 2009 through April 2010, data were collected via dialogicalengagement between participants and the researcher and analyzed through the extraction-synthesis and heuristic interpretation processes. RESULTS: The structure was identified as follows. The families' lived experience of suffering was a process through which they experienced a psychological shock of cancer diagnosis and difficulties associated with reshuffled roles among family members, and made efforts to care for the patients. CONCLUSION: Amidst sadness, pain, anxiety, guilt, fear and agony, the families focused on the human-health-universe aspect and found meanings of their experiences as love, triumphant, responsibility and hope. As such, the study results suggest that the suffering of families with cancer patients is a human becoming process of positive transformation.