In the blink of an eye : dealing with death in late diagnosis of pancreatic cancer

Abstract

The study explored a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer through the spouses and the health professionals who are involved in palliative care strategies. The aim of this research was to explore the lived experiences that occur during the narrow transition period from diagnosis to death from the perspective of the bereaved spouse, who would have accompanied the patient throughout the process and to understand how this experience parallels with the lived experience of the health professionals. Interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) was used to analyse this phenomenon from multiple perspectives. Twelve participants (group 1: six spouses; group 2: six health professionals) were recruited through purposive sampling, and semi-structured in-depth interviews were carried out. The findings elicited from the spouses shed light on the experiences from diagnosis to death and the implications involved in the accelerated deterioration of living with pancreatic cancer. The health professionals’ described experiences of giving the news, involvement in palliative care strategies and dealing with death as challenging, including various dilemmas involved in the process of care. After comparing and contrasting the interviews of group 1 and group 2, a holistic understanding of the phenomenon by examining the different parts individually. This resulted in an in-depth perspective encompassing existential, contextual, occupational and emotional understanding of the ways in which death is conceptualised amongst individuals. In conclusion, this research highlighted various recommendations for clinical health practice, policymakers and future research in relation to the area of palliative and end of life care in terminal illness such as pancreatic cancer.