Treatment and Rehabilitation for Esophageal Cancer-Striving to Meet Obstacles and Long-term Impacts: A Qualitative Descriptive Study.

BACKGROUND: Following esophagogastric cancer treatment, patients with esophageal cancer and their relatives struggle with adjusting to a new everyday life as they experience various challenges after treatment requiring rehabilitation. Health professionals must address long-term impacts on patients' health, everyday life, family functioning, and support needs.

OBJECTIVE: This qualitative descriptive study aimed to explore patients', relatives', and health professionals' experience with long-term impacts and rehabilitation after treatment for esophageal cancer.

METHODS: A qualitative approach based on a phenomenological-hermeneutical methodology was used. Two methods were selected in the study: focus group interviews with health professionals and individual interviews with patients and relatives. Inductive thematic analysis with inspiration from Braun and Clarke was used for data analysis.

RESULTS: Three main themes emerged from the data analysis: (1) forced into limitations in everyday life, (2) learning and navigating a new everyday life, and (3) rehabilitation accepting new normality.

CONCLUSION: Patients and relatives experience persistent long-term impacts after treatment for esophageal cancer, making rehabilitation strenuous and demanding. Relatives take considerable responsibility for the patients' rehabilitation but feel invisible and unsupported by health professionals. Health professionals acknowledge the severity of long-term impacts but fail to prepare patients and relatives for the impacts and do not see the relatives' need for support.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: The study emphasizes the need for a proactive approach in the healthcare system, addressing patients' and relatives' physical and psychological vulnerability. Cancer nurses need to prepare and involve patients and relatives in treatment, long-term impacts, and rehabilitation.