Hugging my life history: Experiencing cancer as an adolescent

Abrazando mi historia de vida: la experiencia de vivir con cáncer siendo adolescente.

Objective.   To   explore   the   life   history   of   an   adolescent   who   experiences   cancer.   Materials and methods. This is a qualitative study based on single-case life history. In-depth interview was used, and the results were analyzed using a reduced version of Amedeo Giorgi’s method.  Results.  Two   central themes emerged from the data:  Diagnosis implications for the personal, social and, family life of a teenager suffering from cancer and family support as crucial in coping with the disease.  The support of the family was essential in overcoming cancer in an adolescent. Solid social support to the patient favored the processes of living, adapting, coping with and, overcoming cancer. Conclusions. The study allowed the researchers to understand an adolescent’s experience of living with osteosarcoma, revealing a particular world that has not been explored in depth.  Sometimes childhood cancer is considered a devastating disease, which has severe implications for the patient and his family forcing them to reorganize their family and social dynamics to adapt and fight against that disease.