Family Caregivers’ Experiences Related to Fear of Cancer Recurrence in Caring for Cancer Survivors

ABSTRACT

Purpose@#Cancer survivors and family caregivers may experience a vague sense of fear or worry about the possibility of recurrence.The family caregivers of cancer survivors experience numerous psychological hardships because, depending on the patient’s state, they must play various roles and accompany the patient through a series of events. Accordingly, this study aimed to investigate the nature and structure of the experiences of family caregivers of cancer survivors in relation to the fear of cancer recurrence. Additionally, it sought to obtain the central meanings associated with these experiences. @*Methods@#We recruited four adult family caregivers of patients who were diagnosed with cancer between February and October 2020. The caregiver participants voluntarily agreed to participate in the study. To analyze their experiences regarding fear of cancer recurrence, we collected data using the qualitative case study and by conducting individual in-depth interviews. @*Results@#Family caregivers’ experiences comprised four themes (“Standing at the edge of a cliff,” “Ambushed by worries,” “Anxiety I never want to experience again,” and “Making efforts to relieve anxiety”) and 11 subthemes. @*Conclusion@#Family caregivers of cancer survivors experience daily psychological hardships owing to fear of cancer recurrence. It is important to identify the unmet needs of family caregivers and provide practical and professional nursing interventions.