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You Are Not Alone — 6 Inspiring Cancer Memoirs to Help Survivors and Caregivers Cope with Their Journeys SHARE

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You Are Not Alone — 6 Inspiring Cancer Memoirs to Help Survivors and Caregivers Cope with Their Journeys

These remarkable books share the challenges of a disease that changes lives in an instant.

For anyone facing cancer themselves or the diagnosis of someone close to them, finding a community to lean on can be life changing. Friends, family and support groups can all help fill this need, but there’s another way, as well. Cancer memoirs, written by those who have been on the journey, can illuminate your own in unexpected, and often moving, ways.  Whether you’re looking for someone to tell you the cold hard facts, or read a story to lift your spirits, it’s out there.

Here 6 remarkable cancer memoirs, each different in tone and story, and each uniquely able to teach, comfort and guide.

‘Not One of These Poems Is About You’: Teva Harrison

Read More   View this post on Instagram   ☆REVIEW☆ (#freebook | @houseofanansi ) • Not One Of These Poems is About You By Teva Harrison Available January 7th! • Thoughts~ My heart is heavy after reading this. And yet I am so appreciative and enamored by her grace and honesty in these poems. Diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer at age 37 she goes deep, opening up her heart for all to see. Sharing her innermost thoughts and fears. Her journey through her diagnosis and treatments and the way cancer has changed who she is. A devastatingly beautiful, heartbreaking read. I feel like no words I write will do this book justice. Her bravery and honesty is profound and complex. Thank You Teva for gifting this book to the world. A comfort for thoes who walk in your shoes and an insightful look inside this terrifying diagnosis for the rest of us. Sadly Teva Harrison passed away in April of this year. Her words and work will live on and continue to inspire. This collection is out in January. Highly reccomend checking it out. • Thank You to @houseofanansi for sending me this. ♡ . . [#bookalongreview] . . #notoneofthesepoemsisaboutyou #tevaharrison #poetry #canlit #canadareads #readthenorth #canadianauthor #poetrysunday #bookreview #bookreviewer #bookblogger #bookblog #bookdragon #bookphoto #allthebooks #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bibliophile #bookcommunity #booksbooksbooks #booksandplants #booksandbeans #mustread #amreading #vscobooks #vscoreads #bookasthetic #2019reads A post shared by Kate | ???????? (@bookalong) on Dec 8, 2019 at 11:39am PST

In this posthumous book of essays, Teva Harrison shares her metastatic breast cancer journey. A follow up to Harrison’s “In-Between Days: A Memoir About Living with Cancer,” it dives deep into what it means to have cancer, the impact it has on her life, and how the disease has progressed. A look at her femininity, health and the great love of her life, it’s an honest and raw read.

‘TOUGH: Women Who Survived Cancer’

  View this post on Instagram   Thank you to everyone who came out to the ????Book Launch Party???? for ‘TOUGH: Women Who Survived Cancer’: https://amzn.to/31H1SCh Because of you, we are a #1 New Release on Amazon with over ????reviews! YES Love you all! ???? – Marquina Special Thanks: ????by @denniscahlo ????by #michna and @automaticstudios for the space #sharetriumph #cancer #survivor #survivorstories #metavivorstories #tough #hope #livenow #lovenow #book #booklaunch #party #photos #cancer #strongwomen #booklover #sisterhood #tellyourstory #cancersupport A post shared by Marquina Iliev-Piselli (@sharetriumph) on Sep 22, 2019 at 8:44am PDT

This cumulative work from 37 women who survived a variety of cancers shines a light on so many remarkable stories. Edited by cancer survivor Marquina Iliev-Piselli, “TOUGH: Women Who Survived Cancer” brings the reader along as these women follow creative pursuits from stand-up comedy to air guitar.

‘Memoir of a Debulked Woman: Enduring Ovarian Cancer’: Susan Gubar

  View this post on Instagram   #50booksmamareads2018 #memoirofadebulkedwoman #susangubar #cancer #ovariancancer #chemotherapy #fixthisplease #fundresearch #remission #memoir #nonfiction A post shared by A S W (@butyouhaveto) on Apr 12, 2018 at 8:28am PDT

In 2008, Susan Gubar’s life was turned upside down when she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Her memoir dives into the aftereffects and coping with what she describes as her body’s betrayal. She leans on her husband, children and friends while seeking a community through books and testimonies of those who had also faced cancer. In writing this book, she helps others find the community and support that is so critically needed while facing a cancer diagnosis.

“The Middle Place”: Kelly Corrigan

  View this post on Instagram   I had read Kelly Corrigan’s ‘Glitter and Glue’ a while ago and I know she has a new one out but I figured I’d had start with ‘The Middle Place’ given it’s one I hear friends rave about. And I can see why. She’s not only a great writer but an astute student, and observer, of this season of life that many of us find ourselves in: raising little ones while also still enjoying one’s role as a daughter of parents. But as in all seasons of life, these seasons are in constant flux, and when she receives a breast cancer diagnosis around the same time as her father receives one for bladder cancer, she goes back and forth between the role of daughter and mother daily, sometimes hourly. It’s a tender read, I loved how she has alternates chapters for her childhood and present tense. Reminding us of how life isn’t either/or but continues in the both/and, particularly when we are in that ‘middle place’. ????????✨ #livingbythepage A post shared by Natalie d’Aubermont Thompson (@livingbythepagewithnatalie) on Jan 26, 2018 at 9:33am PST

When Kelly Corrigan was 36, she had a happy marriage, two great kids and a weekly newspaper column. But when she discovered a lump in her breast just as her father discovers he has late-stage cancer, she finds herself in what she calls the Middle Place, “that sliver of time when parenthood and childhood overlap.”

“Don’t Stop Believin'”: Olivia Newton-John

  View this post on Instagram   For everyone living in the UK, #DontStopBelievin will be published on 13 June. Can’t wait for you all to read it! Available on Amazon now amzn.to/2VMiNQq A post shared by Olivia Newton-john (@therealonj) on Jun 3, 2019 at 11:33am PDT

Olivia Newton-John, who has stage 4 breast cancer — her third bout with the disease –  and who says she recently received encouraging results from her last MRI, has been incredibly open and uplifting throughout her journey. "I've adjusted to living with cancer, which I'm very lucky to say I'm able to do," Newton-John told SurvivorNet  in a previous conversation. Her memoir gives fans and supporters the story of her life, details of her cancer journey, and so much more.

‘The Bright Hour: A Memoir of Living and Dying’: Nina Riggs

John Duberstein lost his wife, writer Nina Riggs, to metastatic triple negative breast cancer. “She wanted to embrace the existence that she had, even before she knew she was going to die imminently. I did not want to talk about what was going to happen with me after Nina died. Nina is the one that really brought it up, she brought it up a number of times. She wanted to make sure that I knew that it was OK,” he told SurvivorNet in a previous conversation. Her book, The Bright Hour,” tells the story of their relationship and her outlook while staring down the end.

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Sarah Fielding is a reporter for SurvivorNet. You can follow her on Twitter at @sarahfielding_. Read More

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Home > Cancer Research Catalyst > Cancer Survivors: In Their Words

Cancer Survivors: In Their Words

This year alone, an estimated 1.8 million people will hear their doctor say they have cancer. The individual impact of each person can be clouded in the vast statistics. In honor of National Cancer Survivor Month,  Cancer Today would like to highlight several personal essays we’ve published from cancer survivors at different stages of their treatment. 

In  this essay , psychiatrist Adam P. Stern’s cerebral processing of his metastatic kidney cancer diagnosis gives rise to piercing questions. When he drops off his 3-year-old son to daycare, he ponders a simple exchange: his son’s request for a routine morning hug before he turns to leave. “Will he remember me, only a little, just enough to mythologize me as a giant who used to carry him up the stairs? As my health declines, will he have to learn to adjust to a dad who used to be like all the other dads but then wasn’t?” he questions. 

In  another essay from a parent with a young child, Amanda Rose Ferraro describes the abrupt change from healthy to not healthy after being diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia in May 2017. After a 33-day hospital stay, followed by weeklong chemotherapy treatments, Ferraro’s cancer went into remission, but a recurrence required more chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant. Ferraro describes harrowing guilt over being separated from her 3-year-old son, who at one point wanted nothing to do with her. “Giving up control is hard, but not living up to what I thought a mother should be was harder. I had to put myself first, and it was the hardest thing I had ever done,” she writes.

In January 1995, 37-year-old Melvin Mann was diagnosed with chronic myelogenous leukemia, which would eventually mean he would  need to take a chance on a phase I clinical trial that tested an experimental drug called imatinib—a treatment that would go on to receive U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval under the brand name Gleevec. It would also mean trusting a system with a documented history of negligence and abuse of Black people like him: “Many patients, especially some African Americans, are afraid they will be taken advantage of because of past unethical experiments like the infamous Tuskegee syphilis study​,” Mann writes, before describing changes that make current trials safer. Mann’s been on imatinib ever since and has enjoyed watching his daughter become a physician and celebrating 35 years of marriage.

In  another essay , Carly Flumer addresses the absurdity of hearing doctors reassure her that she had a good cancer after she was diagnosed with stage I papillary thyroid cancer in 2017. “What I did hear repeatedly from various physicians was that I had the ‘good cancer,’ and that ‘if you were to have a cancer, thyroid would be the one to get,’” she writes.

In another piece for Cancer Today , Flumer shares  how being diagnosed with cancer just four months after starting a graduate program shaped her education and future career path.

For Liza Bernstein, her breast cancer diagnosis created a paradox as she both acknowledged and denied the disease the opportunity to define who she was. “In the privacy of my own mind, I refused to accept that cancer was part of my identity, even though it was affecting it as surely as erosion transforms the landscape,” she writes . “Out in the world, I’d blurt out, ‘I have cancer,’ because I took questions from acquaintances like ‘How are you, what’s new?’ literally. Answering casual questions with the unvarnished truth wasn’t claiming cancer as my identity. It was an attempt to dismiss the magnitude of it, like saying ‘I have a cold.’” By her third primary breast cancer diagnosis, Bernstein reassesses and moves closer to acceptance as she discovers her role as advocate.

As part of the staff of  Cancer Today , a magazine and online resource for cancer patients, survivors and caregivers, we often refer to a succinct tagline to sum up our mission: “Practical knowledge. Real hope.” Part of providing information is also listening closely to cancer survivors’ experiences. As we celebrate National Cancer Survivor Month, we elevate these voices, and all patients and survivors in their journeys.

Cancer Today is a magazine and online resource for cancer patients, survivors, and caregivers published by the American Association for Cancer Research.  Subscriptions to the magazine are free ​ to cancer patients, survivors and caregivers who live in the U.S. 

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• v.23(2); 2020 Apr

The experience of patients with cancer on narrative practice: A systematic review and meta‐synthesis

1 Department of Humanistic Nursing, School of Nursing, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai China

2 Department of Breast Surgery, School of Medicine, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai China

3 Department of Nursing, School of Medicine, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai China

4 College of Health Professions, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond VA, USA

Associated Data

All data generated or analysed during this study are included in this published article and its Supporting Information files.

In recent years, narrative practice has been applied in clinical settings to address the relational and psychological concerns that occur in tandem with physical illness. It is an emerging strategy to treat patients as individuals with their own stories, rather than purely based on symptoms.

To synthesize the experience of patients with cancer using narrative practice.

Following a systematic search strategy, a literature search was conducted to identify qualitative studies on the experience of patients with cancer using narrative practice. Nine databases were searched up to April 2018, which included six English databases and three Chinese databases. A meta‐synthesis was conducted to synthesize the findings of the included studies.

Main Results

Seven studies out of 2894 studies were included in this review. Patients with cancer had different preferences on narrative practices. In terms of the impacts of narrative practice on patients with cancer, six themes were identified, which included ‘(a) reducing the gap between patients and clinicians; (b) healing effect; (c) social connection; (d) facilitating self‐reflection, self‐recognition and self‐realization; (e) risk of negative impacts; and (f) Patients' preference on different approaches of narrative practice’.

Conclusions

Patients with cancer experienced positive effects regarding narrative practice. Although some patients may experience negative effects, narrative practice is a humanized way to provide care for patients with cancer in the clinical settings.

1. INTRODUCTION

The number of patients with cancer has increased tremendously in recent years. 1 The Global Cancer Statistics 2018 estimated 18.1 million new cancer cases and 9.6 million cancer deaths in 2018. 2 According to the National Health and Family Planning Commission of China, there were an estimated 42.92 million new cancer cases in China in 2015. 3 In the United States of America, 17.62 million new cancer cases and 0.61 cancer deaths are projected in 2019. 4

Patients with cancer experience many problems in the course of diagnosis, treatment and survival. The problems include delays and lack of coordination of care, information gap and not being actively engaged in management, inadequate attention to their emotional and social problems, and difficulty in accessing services due to financial problems. 5 Studies show cancer patients experience difficult emotions and have more psychological concerns, anxiety, depression, unmet requirements and more concerns about finance, jobs and self‐image than patients without cancer. 5 , 6 The amount of concerns experienced are related to their quality of life. 6 Therefore, their thoughts and concerns are not only important to them but also to health‐care providers in clinical practice.

Health‐care providers have tried numerous ways to help patients speak out and release their thoughts. It is well documented that nursing scholars, like Nightingale and Watson, provided caring through the use of media, such as art, music and writing. 7 , 8 These are the prototypes of narrative practice. This shows that narrative practice has a long history in medical field. ‘A narrative or story is a report of connected events, real or imaginary, presented in a sequence of written or spoken words, or still or moving images, or both’. 9 Narrative medicine is the most prominent recent development in the medical humanities. 10 Rita Charon suggests that narrative medicine is a commitment to understanding patients' lives, caring for the caregivers and giving voice to the suffering. 11 Narrative medicine is a medical approach that utilizes people's narratives in clinical practice, research and education as a way to promote healing. 11 , 12 It aims to address the relational and psychological issues that occur in tandem with physical illness, and attempt to treat patients as humans with individual stories, rather than purely based on symptoms. 13 Its central claim is that attention to patients' narratives is essential for patient care. 13 There are many approaches and different types of narrative practice. They include telling illness stories, writing personal experiences through letters or blogs, 10 taking part in sharing conference of patients, 14 drawing, 11 reading or listening or watching others' stories. 12

The significance of the patients' narrative of illness provides insight into their experiences. 15 Fraas summarized the importance of narratives throughout the course of treatment. During the process of diagnosis, narratives encourage empathy and promote mutual understanding between health‐care providers and patients. 16 During the process of treatment, it provides useful information in decision making and disease management. Moreover, narratives encourage reflection on the behaviour and thoughts. 16 Thus, mutual understanding could be fostered, not only from the medical side to their patients but also from patients to their caregivers.

Narrative practice has shown significant influence on patients in quantitative studies. For instance, narratives in diabetes patients facilitate health behaviour changes, self‐efficacy and self‐care activities. 14 Results from a survey suggested that narrative blogging may decrease a sense of isolation through developing online connections with others and increases a sense of helping others in similar situations. 17 Interestingly, a systematic review concluded that there were no significant differences regarding psychological health indexes by utilizing writing intervention at any of the follow‐up time‐points. 18 Although quantitative evidence has shown the benefits of narrative practice to patients, what patients experience in the process of storytelling or writing or how they think of narrative practice is still not synthesized. Furthermore, the target population in these quantitative studies normally included patients with diabetes, with pain, in intensive care units, and so forth. Patients with cancer have yet to draw the attention of the researchers in the domain of narrative medicine.

Thus, the purpose of this review was to synthesize the experience of patients with cancer using narrative practice. There is a lack of published meta‐syntheses of findings concerning the experience of narrative practice for cancer patients, and this systematic review and meta‐syntheses could serve as a reference for further studies in this field.

2.1. Design

This systematic review synthesized the experience of cancer patients regarding narrative practice reported in qualitative studies, as well as in mixed‐methods research papers.

2.2. Protocol and registration

A draft research protocol was discussed and revised in the author group. The senior author (J.H) and a research librarian (MD) reviewed the protocol, and revisions made as necessary. The research protocol was registered in PROSPERO (2017: CRD42017078900).

2.3. Inclusion criteria

Studies were included if they (a) included adult patients with cancer, (b) used a qualitative design (interviews, focus groups or written text description analysis) and (c) focused on patients' experience and perspectives on narrative practice. Studies were excluded if they (a) did not focus on narrative practice, (b) used a quantitative design, (c) not published in English and/or Chinese. Studies using a mixed‐methods design were included only if data obtained via qualitative techniques could be (or were) disaggregated, and if qualitative data fulfilled the above‐mentioned inclusion criteria.

2.4. Search method

A three‐step search strategy was applied in this review. An initial scoping search of EMBASE and MEDLINE was undertaken to analyse the key words contained in the title and abstract and subject headings associated with preliminary articles of interest which could be used to help identify additional articles of relevance. A second search using all identified terms was then undertaken across all included databases and other resources. The search strategy was developed by two authors (J.X and Y.H) with the librarian (MD) experienced in systematic review searching and peer‐reviewed by a second librarian (TT). Thirdly, the list of references of all identified articles and studies was searched and reviewed for additional eligible studies.

Searches of the following databases were used to identify relevant literature: (a) English database—(1) MEDLINE including In‐Process & Other Non‐Indexed Citations (1946 to present), (2) EMBASE (1947 to present) and (3) PsycINFO (1806 to present); (b) Chinese database—(1) China Academic Journal Network Publishing Database, (2) China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) and (3) China Science and Periodical Database. Other literature resource included was as follows: ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global; Web of Science; Cochrane Library. Main search strategies in different databases are listed in the Appendix S1 .

2.5. Screening

After duplicates were removed from the collection of citations identified from the electronic search, a two‐step screening was conducted by two reviewers (J.X and Y.H). In the first step, the two reviewers independently screened the titles and abstracts of all studies to determine their potential eligibility for the review. All potentially relevant records and those records that did not contain enough information to determine eligibility (eg no available abstract) were retained. In the second step, the same two reviewers independently read the full text of all potentially relevant articles to determine eligibility for inclusion in the review. The reviewers met at the beginning, mid‐point and final stages of each step to discuss challenges and uncertainties related to study selection. Any conflicts in the identification of relevant studies during either the first or second step were resolved through a consensus process or by consulting a third senior reviewer, as required. Reasons for exclusion were documented for all papers excluded from the review at this second step.

2.6. Data extraction

Data were extracted from studies included in this systematic review using extraction tables. Two authors (J.X and Y.H) independently extracted data from eligible articles. The data included participants and setting, aims or purpose of the study, research design, sampling, data collection and analysis methods, findings and themes relevant to the review. Discrepancies in data extraction were resolved through consensus. The characteristics of the included studies were integrated into extraction tables, and the data were transferred into NVivo 12.0 19 for further synthesis.

2.7. Risk of bias (quality) assessment

The Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal tool (Checklist for Qualitative Research) was utilized for the judgement of the studies included. 20 Two reviewers (J.X and Y.H) independently assessed the study quality and the risk of bias. If the agreement was not achieved, the two reviewers consulted the third reviewer (J.H) to make a final decision.

2.8. Data synthesis

Thematic synthesis was conducted to analyse the qualitative data in the included studies. It involved the systematic coding of data, generating descriptive and analytical themes. 21 Such a synthesis can produce new insights and understanding as studies with different important aspects, such as population and settings, can be combined to identify concepts that are present across a range of contexts and settings. The synthesis included three stages: the free line‐by‐line coding of the findings of primary studies; the organization of these ‘free codes’ into related areas to construct ‘descriptive’ themes; and the development of ‘analytical’ themes. 22

The preliminary findings were discussed with another author (J.H) with experience in qualitative research. The descriptive and analytical themes and their distinctions from each other were considered, afterwards some thematic themes were grouped together and reworded. 22

3.1. Study selection

A total of 2894 studies were identified and imported into EndNote X7 software. 23 From this sample, 160 duplications were removed. The remaining 2734 studies were assessed for relevance of title and abstract. From this pool, 64 full texts were retrieved and reviewed independently by two reviewers (J.X and Y.H) according to the inclusion criteria. Finally, a total of seven articles were included for data synthesis and quality appraisal (Figure ​ (Figure1 1 ).

Flow diagram of study selection

3.2. Characteristics of the included data with the tables

Of the seven studies included for final analysis, six were qualitative studies and one mixed‐method study (Table ​ (Table1). 1 ). Five studies were published in peer‐reviewed journals, and the other two were PhD thesis in ProQuest. Out of seven studies, three were conducted in the United States of America, two in Denmark, one in Canada and one in Germany. The settings included surgery department (n = 2), outpatient oncology clinic (n = 1), Cancer Care website (n = 3) and cancer social group (n = 1).

Brief overview of included studies

3.3. Methodological quality of studies

Both study design and content were considered to be of reasonable quality and of direct relevance to this review. Three studies did not present the philosophical perspective, two did not show the statement locating researcher culturally or theoretically and one did not absolutely present participants' voice (Figure ​ (Figure2 2 ).

Critical appraisal by using JBI qualitative assessment tool

3.4. Synthesis of main findings

Through meta‐synthesis of the findings of all the seven studies included in this systematic review, six themes were identified:

3.4.1. Narrative practices reduce the gap between patients and clinicians in decision making

Reading, watching or listening to the story of a person similar to oneself was rated as especially helpful because upcoming decisions and challenges were seen to be highly variable within a disease… 24

Patients thought narrative practice was a way to reduce the gap with clinicians in decision making. To patients, cancer treatment process is not a one‐and‐done journey. They will come across many issues to contemplate and decide during the course of treatment. Upcoming decisions and challenges vary within a disease. Reading, watching or listening to the story of a patient similar to oneself was particularly useful because patients could learn from the stories and their decision‐making process. 24 At the end of narrative practice, patients could be aware that they really have some important issues to decide or deal with. 25 The stories contain information and topics presented from different viewpoints with pros and cons. Patients like to read or see the reasons why people in the story refuse or accept a regimen. The content within the stories facilitates decision making. 24 In patients' opinions, through telling stories to the health‐care professionals, they would gain a better understanding of what the patients went through. 25 , 26 As a result, the health providers will take into consideration patients' thoughts and feelings more often in the process of decision making.

While health providers know more about their patients, the patients eventually learn to trust their health providers more. This will narrow the gap between patients and clinicians. Thus, narrative practice plays an important role in patient‐clinician's relationship and decision‐making process. 23 , 24 , 25

3.4.2. Narrative practice is a way of healing

I can see the importance of my telling stories and hearing other people's stories because I think it's therapeutic on many levels. 25

Narrative practice is a way to healing. 14 , 16 , 27 , 28 , 29 Patients will gain hope, confidence, power, as well as motivation in the narrative practice. 10 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 27 , 28 Simultaneously, most of the patients feel released and comfortable after telling or writing their stories. 10 , 25 , 27 , 28 Therefore, telling, reading, listening or writing a story appears to have a significant therapeutic value. The process of narrative practice is undoubtedly therapeutic, but not a therapy. 26

Patients could see the importance of telling stories and hearing other people's stories because of its therapeutic effect on many levels. 25 , 28 Storytelling or a chat is something that can heal, maybe not cancer but patients' souls. 14 Writing their own story was therapeutic for patients. Without writing, they may get caught up in negative emotions, which may lead to mental illness. 10 Many participants were convinced that they experienced a degree of healing related to their cancer experience as a result of writing their stories. 26 The participants felt that they benefited dramatically from the stories at the story sharing conference and that they were unconstrained from fear, isolation, confusion, shame and self‐doubt. 28

Most of the patients have a ‘wall’ in their mind to protect themselves from vulnerability. Nevertheless, narrative practice is a ‘brick to knock down the whole wall’. ‘When the wall comes down, the healing can happen’. 28 Narrative practice is not the ‘cure’ to psychosocial recovery from cancer, but it can act like a bridge and can assist patients in moving forward in their lives.

3.4.3. Narrative practice keeps patients in the social world

Shared laughter also establishes a shared social world, and on several occasions women on the mailing list said that they enjoyed talking to each other…Because we can laugh at the same things…The users described the breast cancer mailing list as a support group and a virtual community, a group notion that exists through shared communicative practices and social experience. 27

Narrative practice makes patients have the sense of presence in the social world. Each person is a member of the society. When faced with a cancer diagnosis, many patients feel like they have been abandoned. Listening to or telling stories about support and care was seen not only as reaching out to others in the society but also as a way of handling one's own experience and making it meaningful, leading to maintenance of self‐esteem. 27 In patients' words, the story sharing conference made listeners feel a real connection with the storyteller, a friendship at a distance. 24 , 28 Sometimes, patients themselves are able to connect with each other without words after storytelling. 28 Narrative practice makes patients feel that they are not alone, and they are loved. 10 , 23 , 27 They could feel loving kindness that just holds them up, embraces them and keeps them warm. 23 The multiple types of storytelling or story‐listening provided patients with a reconnection to a sense of community. 28

Regarding the narrators, they believe narrative practice is a means to help and support others, and they desire to help others. 24 , 26 In the process of helping others, narrators, also cancer patients before, have a reconnection with other people and society. 28 Narrative practice makes them more social and positive in the future life. 10

3.4.4. Narrative practice helps patients' reflection, self‐recognition and self‐realization

Participants reflected that this aspect of the expressive writing could be emotional and, at times, painful, but that it was also often affirming to reflect upon what they had been through, the choices they had made, and how much they had overcome. 10

Narrative practice can make people reflect, recognize themselves and then realize the value of life. 10 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 28

Firstly, narrative practice leads patients to reflect upon their own behaviour and thoughts. 24 They could reflect on what they had gone through, the choices they had made, and how much they had overcome. 10 When the patients read their own writings and stories, they would re‐assess the changes they have gone through. 28 In other words, the stories helped them reflect upon the shift that they had made at that time and its continuous development in their life. 25

Secondly, patients start to recognize themselves. Patients showed huge shifts as a result of listening to the stories. 28 What's more, they represented big changes in mind about the nature of their own value and abilities. 10 Many of the patients were able to accept what had happened to them and their experiences in this new light. 28 Narrative practice opens up patients mind to what they are going through. It makes them recognize and understand what is happening to them. 10 , 26 , 28

Finally, patients gained a new appreciation for themselves. Narrative practice made them generate the sense of helping others. 28 This practice is about finding, facing or confronting a ‘truth’ from their experience with cancer. Once the truth was found, faced or confronted, the patients have already made sense of, or got the meaning from their experiences with cancer. 26 They saw themselves in a new perspective. They are not only a person who simply survived, but also a person to utilize their knowledge to share with others, to help others go through the cancer journey and to achieve self‐realization. 10 , 25 , 27 , 28

3.4.5. Narrative practice is likely to have negative effects on the patients

I'm good at kinda like ignoring I some of my worries and things I but when I get really down and then write things down I kinda find myself carried to the, like negative side and worry more. 16

In addition to the positive effects, some reported that they also felt worried, nervous and overwhelmed at times. 14 , 16 , 27 , 30 Some people even got extremely depressed after telling their stories. 27 They always reflected upon what they had been through, the choices they had made, and how much they had overcome. For others, it was painful because the process of storytelling or writing reminded them of their previous tough experiences. 16 Because narrative practice brings out all those emotions and things that the patients do not really want to face, they felt uncomfortable and afraid at the beginning. 16 , 27

3.4.6. Patients have different preferences on different approaches of narrative practice

Focus group discussions revealed that users searched for people in a similar situation and with similar characteristics to themselves. They looked for people of the same age, who had children of the same age, and/or for people who were comparable in terms of the time since diagnosis. Reading, watching or listening to the story of a person similar to oneself was rated as especially helpful because upcoming decisions and challenges were seen to be highly variable within a disease, so users tried to find those whom they could relate to the most. 24

For narrators, they prefer telling stories in a private and safe place and writing stories at home. 10 , 25 , 28 There are two different thoughts. Some people felt more comfortable talking. 25 However, others did not feel comfortable when expressing to others. 10 Although diverse thoughts may happen, both telling and writing stories still are two main approaches in narrative practice. The Internet served as a means to facilitate discussions. The Internet made it easier to start discussions on difficult and painful stories. 27

In terms of sharing objects, people prefer talking to a peer, nurses or a social worker who helped them previously. 10 , 23 , 25 , 28 Many patients in the reviewed studies did not disclose to their families or friends as they did not want them to worry. 10 , 23 Sharing emotional thoughts is easier with a formal patient due to the similar experience and concerns. 23 Nurses are professional care providers and know more about what the patient came through. 25 Also, they have a background in caring for cancer patients, while an ordinary person may not have and so it is easier for the nurses to gain trust. 25

Regarding the narrative content, patients are willing to read real and successful stories with humour. 23 , 28 Compared with the books, patients prefer video stories, which are more vivid and impressive. 24 In addition, patients often look for similarities in narrative stories, for example, similar disease, similar age groups and similar regimens. 23 , 24 , 27

4. DISCUSSION

The findings of this systematic review with meta‐synthesis regarding narrative practice in patient with cancer provide a deeper understanding of cancer patients' experiences. Seven studies were identified that met the inclusion criteria, and six themes regarding narrative practice were synthesized. The four main benefits of narrative practice patients with cancer experience include ‘it reduces the gap between patients and clinicians in decision making; it is a way of healing; it keeps patients connected with the social world; and it helps patients' reflection, self‐recognition and self‐realization’. Our findings also showed that narrative practice may have negative effects for some patients. The findings highlight that patients have different preferences regarding narrative approaches.

Our findings highlight the importance of narrative practice for patients with cancer. With significant increase in survival rates of patients with cancer over the last decades, more attention is required to understand how health‐care professionals can mitigate suffering and improve the quality of life of cancer patients. 31 Some quantitative studies have identified the effectiveness of narrative practice in patients with chronic diseases. 14 , 17

Information sharing was found to be one of the six themes synthesized in this systematic review on the experience of patients with cancer regarding narrative practice. Studies have shown narrative practice is an effective approach through which people provide important messages and experiences to others. 30 Many studies in different health‐care settings have shown that one of the main functions of narrative practice is to deliver information. 27 The stories from narrative practice are not only helpful to patients with cancer to understand the process of illness and treatment decision, but also useful to health‐care professionals to provide care with empathy, reflection, professionalism and trustworthiness. 16 Although other means to pass along messages exist, narratives continue to play an important role to bridge the gap between patients and health‐care professionals. 29 This is because narratives are more engaging for patients, especially when they are relevant to them. 32 In addition, information provided in narrative format is better retrieved and understood than information provided in other formats. 33

This systematic review identified the therapeutic value of narrative practice. Narrative practices of storytelling, drawing and reading have been considered to have therapeutic use since the 1980s and have been used therapeutically in a variety of populations in diverse settings. 34 Patients with cancer experience feelings of distress, humiliation, powerlessness and fear of dying. 35 Studies have found that mental and physical health are mutually dependent, and the increase in psychosocial well‐being is associated with survival. 36 In addition, as the life expectancy of patients with cancer has greatly increased due to the advances in cancer treatments, it is important to pay attention to the psychosocial effects of cancer and its treatments. Narrative practice is a potential psychosocial intervention to this vulnerable population. However, narrative practice is not intended to replace traditional psychological therapies and should be viewed as complementary to other therapies.

In this systematic review, we found that narrative practice helps to evoke the interactive relation and socialization aspects of patients with cancer. Patients in most of the studies which were included in this systematic review talked about their relationships with others, such as parents, spouses, children, friends, other patients with cancer or health‐care professionals. Patients with cancer sometimes feel they must conceal their worries in order to protect others, or they find it difficult to talk face to face with others about their feelings. Narrative practice allows patients to return to social connections with others and positively affect their relationships with others, by providing an opportunity to share their experiences. 10 Thus, patients with cancer could progress from isolation to active participation in a new social context. Additionally, narrative practice empowers patients with cancer, as they perceive narrative as a way to help others. The active narrative practice, such as writing, storytelling and drawing, is movements for patients to transform their role from being acted upon to act upon. 10 , 23 , 27 In narrative practice, patients feel they are performing for an imagined readership of patients with cancer. By narrating, they wish to provide peer support to the newly diagnosed cancer patients who can seek out and benefit from their narrative wisdom.

The synthesis in this review points out that narrative practice helps patients with self‐reflection, self‐recognition and self‐realization. During narrative practice, participants have the opportunity to organize their thoughts and experiences and express changes and effects, and it helps to distance themselves from situations. 37 In addition, this practice helps patients to give meaning to their experiences of being diagnosed with cancer and their struggles. 37 Narrative practice is a means to capture and articulate the many overwhelming and painful aspects of life after having cancer. 37

In this systematic review, we also found the negative impacts of narrative practice on some patients with cancer. Some participants feel uncomfortable or even become depressed as narrative practice may bring out the emotions which they did not want to face. Therefore, health‐care professionals need to be aware and pay attention when utilizing narrative practice. Patients need not only treatments, but also caring. Health‐care professionals who view patients from a holistic perspective may see caring and healing as the goal of health care.

We also found ‘patients had different preferences on approaches of narrative practice’. This holistic approach is possible through acknowledging the benefits of narrative practice as a humanized way of psychological healing for cancer patients. To achieve this, firstly, the health‐care professionals need to be aware that narrative practice is similar to other psychological therapies and need to be trained to use this practice. 15 Secondly, a tailored instruction is necessary to offer appropriately balanced suggestions and openings to allow the patients express their own thoughts, feelings and experiences. 10 Lastly, health‐care providers should assess the preference and willingness of individual patients and select an appropriate narrative method. There is no ‘one method fits all’ approach of narrative practice. The implementation relies on patients' willingness, preferences, as well as surroundings.

Therefore, health‐care professionals need to be trained and prepared to conduct narrative practice to provide holistic care for the patient with cancer, taking into consideration their psychosocial needs, background, culture, preference, physical and psychological state. To the best our knowledge, this is the first systematic review to synthesize the experience of patients with cancer using narrative practice. This review followed the guidelines of systematic review and meta‐synthesis rigorously. We worked with the librarians to design a comprehensive search strategy and covered six English and three Chinese databases, as well as the reference list of identified articles. Finally, seven studies were included in this review (out of 2894), including four from North America and three from Europe. Thus, the possible limitation could be that some eligible studies in other countries and/or other languages may not have been identified.

5. CONCLUSION

Narrative practice is a humanized way for psychological healing in patients with cancer. Patients regard narrative practice as an approach for reducing the gap between patients and clinicians. This approach helps in decision making, is a way to healing, a method to keep patients in connected to social world, and provides a process for reflection, self‐recognition and self‐realization. However, individual patients with cancer have different and preferences regarding narrative practices. Additionally, it may have negative effects on some patients. Therefore, health‐care professionals need to be trained and prepared to conduct narrative practice. Consideration should be given to the background, culture, preference, physical and psychological state of patient with cancer.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

The authors declare they have no conflicts of interests.

PROTOCOL REGISTRATION

This is a systematic review registered in PROSPERO (2017: CRD42017078900). URL: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=78900

Supporting information

Acknowledgement.

We thank the librarians at Health Science Library, University of Ottawa for their time, support and suggestions for literature search.

Yang Y, Xu J, Hu Y, Hu J, Jiang A. The experience of patients with cancer on narrative practice: A systematic review and meta‐synthesis . Health Expect . 2020; 23 :274–283. 10.1111/hex.13003 [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]

Xu is the co‐first author and contributed equally to this work with Yang.

Contributor Information

Jiale Hu, Email: ude.ucv@4uhj .

Anli Jiang, Email: moc.nuyila@8101jla .

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The role of narrative and metaphor in the cancer life story: a theoretical analysis

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• Published: 02 October 2012
• Volume 16 , pages 469–481, ( 2013 )

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Being diagnosed with cancer can be one of those critical incidents that negatively affect the self. Identity is threatened when physical, psychological, and social consequences of chronic illness begin to erode one’s sense of self and challenge an individual’s ability to continue to present the self he or she prefers to present to others. Based on the notion of illness trajectory and adopting a Ricoeurian narrative perspective, this theoretical paper shall explore the impact of cancer disease on identity and establish the crucial importance of metaphor in the narratives of life with cancer. Findings indicate that in cancer narratives the illness experience supplies the narrative structure with temporal and spatial meeting points that make the narrative comprehensible and meaningful. Cancer forces identity changes not only from having to endure the long-term physical and psychosocial effects of the disease, but also from inevitable existential questions about life’s meaning. Improved medical knowledge today means improved ethnomedical practices. Metaphor can bridge the gap between the cancer experience and the world of technology and treatment, helping patients to symbolically control their illness.

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Narrative inquiry is the methodology for investigating the interpretation of human experience as it is described in the storied lives of individuals grappling with making sense of life events (Chase 2003 ; Connelly and Clandinin 2006 ). Using narrative inquiry, one attempts to understand how people think through events and what they implicitly assume (Riessman 2008 ).

Ricoeur reveals how the art of creating a plot responds to the aporia of time. This aporia refers to a gap between a phenomenology of time (mortal, subjective) and cosmic time (scientific, objective). Cosmic time refers to infinite age of the cosmos considered as endless and natural time (the time of astronomy and physics). Phenomenological or mortal time refers to the average finite life span of humans. The contrast between these two times is what defines us along a continuum of life-to-death: “Would we speak of the shortness of life, if it did not stand out against the immensity of time?” (Ricoeur 1988 , p. 93).

The lived body is an inseparable unity of mind, body, and world, which is always oriented towards the world outside itself, in a constant flow. It is the place where the world reveals itself, a consistency of meaning and significance. The body is the medium through which a person intentionally carries out daily tasks and activities, and through which a person comes to know the body not through abstracting it but through living it. In other words, we do not have our bodies; we are our bodies. A person’s embodied presence in the world is the necessity of all knowledge and experience (Merleau-Ponty 2002 ; Bullington, 2009 ).

Personal identity is constituted by an inextricable tie between ‘idem’ an ‘ipseity’. Without both forms of identity, there can be no self because a self has both an idem and an ipse identity. However, both aspects of identity are quite different. Idem identity is that which gives the self it spatio-temporal sameness; ipse identity gives the self its ability to initiate something new. For Ricoeur, identity is not idem; it is selfhood: “I have repeatedly affirmed, identity is not sameness” (Ricoeur 1992 , p. 116).

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Another pertinent theory worthy of mention here was proposed by Bronfenbrenner ( 1979 ) who created ecological systems theory, later renamed the bioecological systems theory. According to this theorist, the development of a person is viewed as a combination of biological disposition and environmental forces.

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Ricoeurian philosophy works with the idea of ‘discourse’ as a way in which language and texts are used in our understanding (narratives) of the world, to enable or disable particular ways of acting or being acted upon.

Subjectivity, broadly speaking, refers to an individual’s sense of self. An individual’s subjectivity involves a continual process where the self is produced through interactions and experiences with others. Subjectivity is both being ‘subject to’ and ‘subject of’ cultural narratives and the discourses that enable them (Ricoeur 1991a , b ).

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Acknowledgments

This theoretical paper is part of the Doctoral Research Program developed at the University Institute of Applied Psychology, Lisbon, Portugal. The author wishes to thank Professor Paula Ponce de Leão for her encouragement, kindness and supervision and Professor Isabel Leal for her insight and thought-provoking critique.

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Laranjeira, C. The role of narrative and metaphor in the cancer life story: a theoretical analysis. Med Health Care and Philos 16 , 469–481 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11019-012-9435-3

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• Ovarian Cancer: Risk Factors, Health Disparities, and Preventive Measures The most common signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer include weight loss, pain in the pelvic region, swelling and bloating in the abdomen, low appetite, and increased urination.
• Mindfulness Practice During Adjuvant Chemotherapy for Breast Cancer She discusses the significance of the study to the nursing field and how nurses can use the findings to help their patients cope with stress.
• The Role of hnRNPs in Acute Myeloid Leukemia Blood and lymph are tissues of mesenchymal origin, which consist of plasma and corpuscles suspended in it and form the internal environment of the body.
• Benefits of Good Nutrition During Cancer Treatment Eating various foods is an important part of a healthy diet to get the nutrients the patient needs to fight cancer.
• Community-Based Health Education on Cervical Cancer Through awareness, women will be able to understand the life of the diseases and the control measures that should be put in place to eradicate the infection.
• Antioxidants: The Role in Preventing Cancer and Heart Disease Some of antioxidants are more widely known as vitamins E, C, and carotenoids, and have a reputation of preventing cardiovascular diseases and cancer.
• The Lung Cancer Incidence Research The attributed risk is calculated by dividing the newly diagnosed incidence of cancer attributed to smoking by the total number of newly diagnosed cases of lung cancer.
• Breast Cancer: The Effective Care Domain Information about how the patient is seen, how often the patient is seen, and whether she will return for mammograms can be collected and analyzed to verify the successful intervention to extend consistency with mammograms.
• Colorectal Cancer Screening and Its Effect on Disease Incidence The purpose of this quantitative quasi-experimental quality improvement project was to determine if or to what degree the implementation of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality’s System Approach to Tracking and Increasing Screening for […]
• The Burden of Cancer in the United States Both Hispanic men and women are the least affected by lung cancer in terms of incidence and mortality. Therefore, considering the DALYs measure and smoking rates in the Hispanic group, it can be concluded that […]
• Statistical Analysis of Lung and Bronchus Cancer Data Using the mean obtained, the Black community has recorded the highest cases of lung and bronchus cancer, with the lowest ethnic group recording, such being the Hispanic race.
• Garden Pesticide and Breast Cancer Therefore, taking into account the basic formula, the 1000 person-years case, the number of culture-positive cases of 500, and culture-negative of 10000, the incidence rate will be 20 new cases.
• Breast Cancer as a Genetic Red Flag It is important to note that the genetic red flags in Figure 1 depicted above include heart disease, hypertension, and breast cancer.
• Breast Cancer Surveillance Consortium Analysis Simultaneously, the resource is beneficial because it aims to “improve the delivery and quality of breast cancer screening and related outcomes in the United States”.
• Drinking Green Tea: Breast Cancer Patients Therefore, drinking green tea regularly is just a necessity- it will contribute to good health and physical vigor throughout the day and prevent severe diseases.
• Pathophysiology of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and Lung Cancer It is also evident that the illness acts fast due to the continuous multiplication of the cancer cells leading to breathing disruptions and eventual death. This sustained weight loss is primarily essential to the advancement […]
• Breast Cancer Prevention: Ethical and Scientific Issues Such information can potentially impact the patient and decide in favor of sharing the information about the current condition and risks correlating with the family history.
• Prostate Cancer Statistics for a Term Paper Prostate cancer is also known as ‘Carcinoma of the Prostate’ and it starts when cells in the prostate glands develop an abnormality that allows them to grow out of control.
• Colorectal Cancer: Promoting a Healthy Diet The aims and goals were to analyze the goals, techniques of solution, and outcomes of particular research and enhance knowledge about the topic area based on a review of freshly released data. I would also […]
• Colorectal Cancer Development Due to Dietary Habits A fundamental research interest of the present dissertation was to run a pilot test on a small sample to assess the possibility of using questionnaires as a tool to assess Saudis’ perception of dietary habits […]
• Cancer Patients’ Late Admission to a Hospice Mulville et al.set out to evaluate and identify the reasons that prevent timely admission to the hospice of cancer patients at the end of life.
• Breast Cancer: Epidemiology, Risks, and Prevention In that way, the authors discuss the topics of breast cancer and obesity and the existing methods of prevention while addressing the ethnic disparities persistent in the issue.
• Breast Cancer Development in Black Women With consideration of the mentioned variables and target population, the research question can be formulated: what is the effect of nutrition and lifestyle maintained on breast cancer development in black women?
• Dietary Habits as a Risk Factor of Colorectal Cancer The risks, however, reduce with the adoption of healthy dietary habits, such as the intake of fresh fruits and vegetables. The author advised conducting more qualitative studies on factors affecting the Saudis population to adhere […]
• Traditional and Complementary Medicine Among Indigenous Cancer Patients Therefore, it is necessary to increase the overall understanding of the role of CAM among breast cancer patients alongside identifying the key motivating factors, where the prime manifestations of the phenomenon are faith and prayer.
• Mechanisms Behind Cancer Development This shows that epigenetics can be employed to determine the type of cancer an individual is expected to develop and make it easier to detect the disease at its early stages. Thus, the combination of […]
• Education for Parents of Children With Cancer The hospital was selected because I am have been working there for a long time, and the personnel is willing to help me with the implementation of the process.
• Health Inequities in Cancer Patients Despite a recent slowdown in overall spending, the United States spends more on health care than other high-income nations and still has some of the worst health results.
• 177Lu-PSMA Radioligand Therapy for Prostate Cancer The therapy is proved to be safer and more effective than its alternatives, with a great deal of success in reducing PSMA.
• Lung Cancer: Diagnostics and Treatment Thus, it is essential to invest in research about lung cancer and be aware of the factors that contribute to its emergence to protect themselves.
• Khalaf’s Burden of Pancreatic Cancer Study Analysis The outcome factors in this study are that regular-dose and low-dose Aspirin were observed to decrease the risk of pancreatic cancer.
• Cancer Blood Tests Saving Lives It is important to note that the article explores novel ways of cancer diagnostics and screening methods using blood tests for various signs of the condition.
• Breast Cancer in Miami Florida The situation with the diagnosis of breast cancer is directly related to the availability of medicine in the state and the general awareness of the non-population.
• 177LU-PSMA Radiological Therapy of Prostate Cancer More clinical trials are necessary to define the efficacy of PSMA treatment and develop more concomitant medication. Also, Gafia et al.found that PSMA is a long-term clinical condition whose changes in management are observed after […]
• Cancer Among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People When compared to non-Indigenous Australians, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, also known as Indigenous Australians, are disadvantaged across a number of health and socioeconomic indices.
• The Ethical Problem in the Case of the Cancer Patient On the other hand, urgently inducing the patient’s death may have been an administrative problem for the patient, and it is not sure that it was caused by the wife’s deliberate decision.
• Cancer Treatment Strategies and Challenges Inspired by the merits of the natural nanovesicles and the state of the art of the advanced engineering versatility of synthetic nanomaterials, we previously presented the synthetic and biological hybrid exosomes for targeted synergistic chemo […]
• Urinary Tract Infections and Pancreatic Cancer The laboratory technician is supposed to culture the urine and use Gram’s staining method to detect the microbes in the sample. The practitioners used a combination of mecillinam and cefotaxime to manage the condition.
• Patient HealthCare: Early Diagnosis of Cancer The NCQA describes the three patients’ interventions and explains how the Nurse Practitioner explicitly measures the listed interventions’ effects. While the patient is in the clinic for routine care, problems with preventive tests and their […]
• Machine Learning Algorithms in Cancer Detection One of the most fundamental tools for machine learning in cancer detection is the use of imaging, with the premise that prognostic data is embedded in pathology images and digital pathology can provide big data […]
• Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia and Nutritional Influences A complete blood count is used to determine the precise number of each blood cell type in an individual, whereas a peripheral blood smear is used to determine alteration in the appearance and mobility of […]
• Breast Cancer: Genetics and Malignancy In the presence of such conditions, the formation of atypical cells is possible in the mammary gland. In the described case, this aspect is the most significant since it includes various details of the patient’s […]
• Video Consultations Between Patients and Clinicians in Diabetes, Cancer, and Heart Failure Services For example, during one of my interactions with the patient, I was asked whether the hospital had the policy to avoid face-to-face interaction during the pandemic with the help of video examinations.
• Diets to Prevent Heart Disease, Cancer, and Diabetes In order to prevent heart disease, cancer, and diabetes, people are required to adhere to strict routines, including in terms of diet. Additionally, people wanting to prevent heart disease, cancer, and diabetes also need to […]
• Smoking as a Risk Factor for Lung Cancer Lung cancer is one of the most frequent types of the condition, and with the low recovery rates. If the problem is detected early and the malignant cells are contained to a small region, surgery […]
• Skin Cancer: Description, Causes, and Treatment Skin cancer is one of the most common types of cancer; the three most common types of skin cancer are basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and melanoma.
• Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, Its Prevalence and Incidence The purpose of this paper is to present the first part of the case study by describing the disease’s pathophysiology, treatment options, prevalence, and incidence.
• Colon Cancer: Symptoms, Genes, and Immunosuppression Colon cancer is the type of cancer that starts in the large intestine, which is the last section of the digestive tract.
• Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: Causes, Origin, and Gene Mutation Apart from analyzing chromosome abnormalities present in patients with ALL, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the disorder’s origin, including primary causes and the process of gene mutations.
• Researching the Colon Cancer and Nursing It is critical for the nurse to have trusted information about cancer tumors because many studies have indicated that patients appreciate and rely on the competence of nurses.
• Nebraska State Department of Health Registries for Cancer and Immunization There is a need to report the progress of breast cancer in Nebraska to help do more research on preventing and introducing improved chemotherapy plans. Nebraska state has immunization and cancer registries which are helpful […]
• The Cancer Cell Development: Causes and Sources Loss of function of suppressor genes resulting from mutations becomes the cause of cancer development: the cell divides abnormally, increasing the cell mass of the tissue.
• Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia and Granulocytosis: Causes and Treatment The accumulation of the underdeveloped stem cells impairs the functioning of the blood cells resulting in such diseases as cancer. This is because white blood cells are part of the immune system and help fight […]
• Epidemiology: Lung Cancer Risk The continued exploration of the factors, as well as agents, leading to the spread of pandemics led to a quantitative and qualitative examination and the development of immunization to reduce infections.
• Case Study for a Patient With Cancer Because Julia refused to continue chemotherapy and radiation treatment, her adenocarcinoma should be expected to get worse, which means she may need further services of a nurse, who would create plans for supportive care; as […]
• Financing of Public Health Initiative on Prostate Cancer Additionally, they need to demonstrate to the public that the resources bestowed on them are adding value to the facilities they are in charge of.
• Genetic Testing: Screening for Colon Cancer This disorder is characterized by the development of hundreds of thousands of adenomatous polyps in the colon and rectum early in life.
• Cancer: Causes, Diagnostic and Treatment This article recommends that the new dietary patterns can be used to reduce the risk of cancer and other diseases. Vegetables can be used to reduce the occurrence of stomach cancer and colorectal cancer.
• Prostate Cancer Among Blacks in Maryland: Public Health Initiative This paper evaluates the economic principles underlying community health needs assessment of the initiative and the health economics relevant to the utilization of the service.
• New Gene Discovered That Stops Spread of Cancer At this point, it is crucial to mention that the discovery by the Salk institute is just a beginning of a long scientific journey that is anticipated to culminate in a comprehensive and conclusive study […]
• Genes Cause Breast Cancer Evidence suggests the role of BRCA1 in DNA repair is more expansive than that of BRCA2 and involves many pathways. Therefore, it is suggested that BRCT ambit containing proteins are involved in DNA repair and […]
• Do Cellphones Cause Brain Cancer? The reason for the worries is that cellphones emit RF energy that contains both electric and magnetic energy, and exposure to it may be unhealthy for a human being.
• Cancer Survivorship and Reproductive Health Outcomes This life includes the social, emotional, psychological, and financial effects that start at the beginning of diagnosis and commences up to the final stage of the disease.
• Patients With Cancer: The Importance of Early Referrals to Hospitals The purpose of this study was to prove the connection between early referrals to hospitals for patients with cancer and the possibility of a positive outcome of treatment for them.
• Aspects of Testicular Cancer The cancer is narrowed to the testicles and the epididymis as the tumor markers level reads normal at the first stage and has not grown into the blood.
• New Venture: Cancer Risks of Firefighters In my opinion, being a firefighter is not just a profession, it is the ability to come to the rescue, to have compassion, to feel pain, and to empathize with people who are in a […]
• Acute Myeloid Leukemia: Genetic Features of Black Patients According to the researcher, the differences in the biological impact of disease and the socioeconomic factors play a crucial role in the disparity between the Blacks and the Whites in the recovery process.
• Cancer Alley and Environmental Racism One of the sources under study is valuable, as it examines the current situation of the coronavirus and the impact of pollution on human health.
• Descriptive Data Statistics: National Cancer Institute The definitions for the measures presented are as follows: Mean = sum of all data points / number of data points; Median = the value that’s exactly in the middle when it is ordered from […]
• Cancer: Risk, Treatment and Prevention Cancer is a condition characterized by abnormal cells that do not function usefully in the body, thereby destroying normal body tissues.
• Colon Cancer: Treatment Options, Medication Research Colon cancer typically begins in the large intestine, which is at the end of the digestive tract and is called a colon.
• Managing Patient With Pancreatic Cancer Overall, pancreatic cancer affects the cellular functioning of the pancreas and disrupts the operation of the digestive system. PanIN is the most common antecedent of pancreatic cancer and occurs in the small pancreatic ducts.
• Cancer Medication and Treatment Alternatives: Project Proposal Indeed, despite the advances made in the management of cancer, particularly, the surgical removal of the tumor and the following therapy allowing to reduce health risks, cancer remains one of the major causes of death […]
• Dr. Paul Demers Presentations: Asbestos and Occupational Cancers and Carcinogens With the cases of asbestos-related cancer rising and the vast amounts of asbestos existing in buildings, water pipes, and workplaces, there is a dire need for stringent policies to remove all asbestos from the environment.Dr.
• Does the Sun Radiation Cause Skin Cancer? Moreover, from the article written by American Cancer Society, it is evident that Ultraviolet A and Ultraviolet B from the sun lead to skin cancer.
• Light Use in Cancer Treatment The notable strength of this article is that it goes further to identify ZnPc-Q1 as a possible candidate for using light therapy in the treatment of cancer. In this work, the authors examine and describe […]
• The Virus That Causes Throat Cancers The research article used after the insight of the summary in the New York Times was from the journal of American medical association.
• Esophageal Cancer: Credible Internet Information Esophageal cancer has become one of the main forms of cancers which usually causes a lot of suffering to patients due to immense pain, difficulty in swallowing or dysphagia.
• Breast Cancer. Service Management The trial specifically looks at the effect on breast-cancer mortality of inviting women to screening from age 40 years compared with invitation from age 50 years as in the current NHS breast-screening programme.
• Fibrocystic Breast Condition or Breast Cancer? The presence of the fibrocystic breast condition means that the tissue of the breast is fibrous, and cysts are filled with the liquid or fluid. The main characteristic feature of this cancer is that it […]
• Cervical Cancer: Causes and Treatment Cervical cancer develops in the cervix – the lower part of the uterus. It starts in a particular part of the cervix, where its squamous and glandular cells connect.
• Analysis in Epidemiology: “Epithelial Ovarian Cancer and Oral Contraceptives” Therefore, in the current case, since the use of combination oral contraceptives reduces the occurrence of epithelial ovarian cancer, then the factors that affect the OCs MUST ALWAYS precede the factors affecting the occurrence of […]
• Coping With Stress in Breast Cancer Patients Therefore, it is important for research experts to ensure and guarantee adherence to methodologies and guidelines that define scientific inquiry. However, various discrepancies manifest with regard to the initiation and propagation of research studies.
• Breast Self-Examination and Breast Cancer Mortality Though it is harsh to dismiss self-exams entirely due to studies that indicate little in deaths of women who performed self-exams and those who did not, the self-exams should not be relied on exclusively as […]
• Breast Self-Exams Curbing Breast Cancer Mortality The results of the study were consistent with the findings of other studies of the same nature on the effectiveness of breast self-examination in detecting and curbing breast cancer.
• Prostate Cancer: Pathophysiology and Diagnostics The disease is normally multimodal in the prostate gland and just about 70% of the illness exists in the or the Peripheral zone.
• Cancer: Factors of Prevention and Treatment The paper focuses on studying polyploidy/multinucleated giant cancer cells, calcium, BXL Protein, Acetylsalicylic Acid, and their specific roles in the prevention and treatment of cancer.
• Herbal Therapy for Cancer Herbal therapy is a theoretical and practical medicine based on the scientific study and use of medicinal plants or drugs obtained from them for therapeutic or prophylactic purposes.
• An Approach to Care of Cancer Overview Suspecting the presence of ovarian cancer is primarily based on a number of symptoms, especially abnormal physical examination, CT and NRI scans of the abdomen as well as the pelvis region.
• Taxol Effectiveness in Inhibiting Breast Cancer Cells The following were the objectives of this experiment: To determine the effectiveness of Taxol in inhibiting breast cancer cells and ovarian cancer cells using culture method.
• Control Breast Cancer: Nursing Phenomenon, Ontology and Epistemology of Health Management Then, the evidence received is presented in an expert way leading to implementation of the decision on the management of the disease.
• Leukemia: Causes, Pathogenesis, Morphological Changes, Basic Management Studies are ongoing to establish the exact cause of the disease, which is still unknown according to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
• MD Anderson Cancer Center: Community Health Assessment The focus of the assessment is the city of Houston, Texas, and the MD Anderson Cancer Center. Most health issues are related to income disparities, immigration status, and the insurance status of Houston residents.
• Researching the Ovarian Cancer In the European continent, for every 100,000 females, 12 to 17 will have ovarian cancer, depending on the nation of origin; this is the age-standardized rate. BRCA1 and BRCA2 profoundly account for the prevalence of […]
• Local Inflammation and Human Papillomavirus Status of Head and Neck Cancers The objective of the study was to assess whether periodontitis is related to the human papillomavirus status of the head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.
• Throat Cancer With Diagnosis of Human Papillomavirus The infection by the HPVs often appears in the epithelium, particularly in the areas with tissue lesions. In this respect, by means of the RNA scope, it is possible to transcribe the HPV genome and […]
• Breast Cancer: Effects of Breast Health Education The design of the research focused on research variables like skills, performance, self-efficacy, and knowledge as the researchers aimed at examining the effectiveness of these variables among young women who underwent training in breast cancer […]
• Community Nursing Role in Breast Cancer Prevention However, early detection still remains important in the prevention and treatment of breast cancer. The community has thus undertaken activities aimed at funding the awareness, treatment and research in order to reduce the number of […]
• Radiotherapy: The Efficient Cancer Treatment Method The main purpose for the proposal of this policy is to increase the safety levels and promote efficiency in the delivery of radiotherapy services to patients.
• Measuring the Uncertainty in Children With Cancer The Limitations of using Mishel Uncertainty Illness Scale and Children Uncertainty Illness Scale led to the development of Uncertainty scale for kids.
• Self-Examination and Knowledge of Breast Cancer Among Female Students Shin, Park & Mijung found that a quarter of the participants practiced breast self-examination and a half had knowledge regarding breast cancer.
• Prognosis in Ulcerative Colitis for Risk of Cancer After that the attempt was to extract the information about incidence of colon cancer in populations previously diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, to check whether the cancer risk increased with the duration of disease and finally […]
• “Tracking Breast Cancer Cells on the Move” by Gomis The article serves the purpose of examining the role of NOG, a gene that is essential in bone development and its role in breast cancer.
• Nutritional Assessment for Cancer Patients The consumption of fatty fish and a reduction in the consumption of unhealthy fats can reduce the risk of colon cancer that is brought about by the consumption of animal fat.
• Cancer Treatment Measures in the Sydney Cancer Center Overall, the study enhanced the proper understanding of the effectiveness through the analysis of the number of health specialists working in the Sydney Cancer Centre and the number of cancer patients attended per day.
• Association Between Pre-Diagnostic Circulating 25-(OH) D and Cancer This was what made the authors to undertake an investigation on correlation between pre-diagnostic of circulating 25- D concentration in the body and dietary intakes of vitamin D and calcium with colon and rectum cancer […]
• Sonodynamic Therapy for Cancer Treatment Sonodynamic therapy also known as ultrasound therapy is a hopeful innovative cancer treatment method that focuses on synergistic effect on tumor cell killing of a photosensitizer and ultrasound. Cavitation refers to the growth, oscillation and […]
• The Relationship Between Cancer and Lifestyle In addition, other lifestyle aspects, such as cigarette smoking, sun exposure and stress need to be addressed to reduce the risks of cancer.
• Cancer: Angiogenesis, Recent Research, Ethical Concerns Zayed et al.’s research reveals that the CIB1 protein controlling the endothelial cell functions is the same as the one causing red blood cell formation in cancer tumors.
• Breast Cancer Survivorship: Are African American Women Considered? The finding of the analysis is that the issue of cancer survivorship is exclusive, developing, and at the same time it depends on what individuals perceive to be cancer diagnosis as well as personal experiences […]
• Gaining Ground on Breast Cancer: Advances in Treatment The article by Esteva and Hortobagyi discusses breast cancer from the aspect of increased survival rates, the novel treatments that have necessitated this and the promise in even more enhanced management of breast cancer.
• Pain Management in Hillman Cancer Center’s Patients Medical and surgical approaches are considered to be the main ways for pain treatment in cancer patients. Advanced stages of cancer result into a multidimensional pain and are where the clinical psychologists step in.
• Ovarian Cancer: Description and Treatment In applying various treatment options, it is important for doctors to ensure that they understand all options, means of navigating through the process, as well as the development stage of the cancer.
• Effects of Hypoxia, Surrounding Fibroblasts, and p16 Expression on Breast Cancer The study was conducted to determine whether migration and invasion of breast cancer cells were stimulated by hypoxia, as well as determining whether the expression of p16 ectopically had the potential to modulate the cell […]
• Breast Cancer: Preventing, Diagnosing, Addressing the Issue In contrast to the MRI, which presupposes that the image of the tissue should be retrieved with the help of magnetic fields, the mammography tool involves the use of x-rays.
• Smoking and Lung Cancer Among African Americans Primarily, the research paper provides insight on the significance of the issue to the African Americans and the community health nurses.
• Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia in Adult Patients Acute lymphocytic leukemia is the cancer of the blood and the bone marrow. The final type of lymph cells is natural killer cells whose role in the body is to nullify the effect of cancerous […]
• Dietary Fat Intake and Development of Breast Cancer This study aimed to determine the relationship between dietary fat intake and the development of breast cancer in women. The outcome of the study strongly suggests that there is a close relationship between a high […]
• The Detection and Diagnosis of Breast Cancer The severity of cancer depends on the movement of the cancerous cells in the body and the division and growth or cancerous cells.
• Smoking and Cancer in the United States In this research study, data on tobacco smoking and cancer prevalence in the United States was used to determine whether cancer in the United States is related to tobacco smoking tobacco.
• Prostate Cancer: Preventive Approaches and Treatment However, the case of prostate cancer seems to oppose this ideology; hence, the purpose of this paper is to understand preventive approaches and therapies used to manage prostate cancer.
• Skin Cancer: Comparison of Samples The aim of this experiment is to examine and thereafter represent low and high power illustrations of a normal skin specimen and of skin specimens that have been affected by various forms types of skin […]
• The Female Reproductive System and Ovarian Cancer The ovary is the one of the central organs of the female reproductive system. The zona granulosa is the exterior layer of cells enclosing the follicles.
• Property Rights to the Cancer Genes The easiest way to understand the protection of patents and the rationale behind them is by appreciating the fact that patents are part of human rights.
• Dietary Approach to Colon Cancer Prevention These research findings appear to support the hypothesis that the presence of folate in the diet is linked to the risk factor for colon cancer.
• Treatment of Ovarian Cancer Factors that predispose women to ovarian cancer include infertility, use of certain medication, hormone replacement therapy, use of oral contraceptives, and party.
• The Pennsylvania Cancer Registry (PCR) This data is essential in that, doctors or clinical experts are able to identify the form of treatment to be provided to each cancer patient, to follow up on the patients’ progress, give any necessary […]
• Breast Cancer: WMI Research and the Current Approaches Although the conclusions provided by the WHI in the study conducted to research the effects of estrogen and progesterone cessation on the chance of developing a breast cancer do not comply with the results of […]
• Oesophageal Cancer as a Global Health Concern The incidence of oesophageal cancer is high in various parts of the world, but for the purposes of this paper, China will be the region of focus.
• Using Genetically-Modified Bacteria to Fight Cancer at Johns Hopkins To do so, a concise summary of the article will be provided, followed by a review of its relevance to the course.
• Skin Cancer and Sunlight: Case Control, Cohort, and Clinical Trial Design The main component in sunlight that is said to be responsible for the development of skin cancer is the Ultraviolet emission.
• Battle Against Cancer in New York State On the other hand, the cancer goals for New York target to reduce the new forms of the disease as well as the various disabilities and body deformations resulting from cancer.
• Various Proteins Targets for Lung, Breast and Colorectal Cancers This protein has been identified in recent research as the one playing the biggest role in causing the growth and the spread of cancer in the lungs.
• Global Health Organization – World-Cancer Campaign The organization can collaborate with other organizations such as the World Economic Forum and the International Council of Nurses to tackle the cancer crisis.
• Healthcare: Colon Cancer The colon refers to the longest section of the large gut and the most low-down section of the digestive arrangement in the human body.
• Dosage & Regimen for MEK Inhibitor: Cancer Clinical Trial The study is a treatment trial aimed at designing the correct dose of GSK1120212. The trial is aimed at determining the dosage and regimen for MEK inhibitor that should be mixed with everolimus in order […]
• Breast Cancer Susceptibility Gene (BRCA2) The mechanisms underlying the genetic predisposition to a particular disease are manifold and this concept is the challenging one to the investigators since the advent of Molecular Biology and database resources.
• Prostate Cancer Pathophysiology and Management At the moment, the use of tumour markers such as kallikrein is the most widespread method of differentiating these two disorders.
• Terminal Cancer Patients: Community Nursing The sole purpose of any nursing activity during any given kind of illness and end-of-life stage is to maximize the quality of life and functioning for individuals, families, and the community at large.
• Esophageal Cancer Overview and Analysis Esophageal Cancer mainly refers to the growths that forms within the tissues that line the walls of the esophagus; the tube composed of muscles that aid the passage of the food from the exterior opening […]
• Ovarian Cancer Overview and Analysis However, several factors have been deemed to contribute to the risk of developing ovarian cancer, for instance, the lesser children a woman has and the later in life she bears children, the higher the chances […]
• Prediction of Breast Cancer Prognosis It has been proposed that the fundamental pathways are alike and that the expression of gene sets, instead of that of individual genes, may give more information in predicting and understanding the basic biological processes.
• The Genetic Basis of Human Cancer This is one of the most difficult in curing, as it may affect any part of the body, and seriously damage the body tissues.
• Breast Cancer Survivors: Effects of a Psychoeducational Intervention While the conceptual framework is justified in analysis of the quality of life, there is the likelihood of influence of the context with quality of life adopting different meanings to patients in different areas and […]
• Cancer and Oxygenation: Oxygen as a Remedy for Cancer Cancer is simply the decrease of oxygen in body cells to levels low enough to allow for a change in the nature of the cells.
• Cancer: Gene Mutation’s Influence, Treatments
• The Effective Pain Assessment in Patients With Lung Cancer
• Providers’ Role in Quality Assurance in Breast Cancer Screening
• Framing Qualitative Research on Lung Cancer
• Oncology: Colorectal Cancer
• Prostate Cancer: Symptoms and Treatment
• Clinical Laboratory Science of Breast Cancer
• Induced and Spontaneous Abortion and Breast Cancer Incidence Among Young Women
• Quality of Life in Chronic Leukemia Patients
• Dyspnea in Cancer Patients
• Ovarian Cancer: Medical Review
• Lung Cancer Cells Migrating to Other Parts of the Body
• Prostate Cancer: The Ion Channels
• To Live Until You Die: Palliative Care in Cancer Experience
• Care Needs of Children Whose Parents Have Incurable Cancer
• New Screening Guidelines for Breast Cancer
• Breast Cancer in Afro- and Euro-Americans
• Cancer Treatment and Life Quality in Adult Patients
• Breast Cancer Assessment in London
• Oral Cancer Reconstruction
• Skin Cancer Awareness Overview
• Angiostatic Approaches to Cancer Therapy
• Genetics of Prostate Cancer and Physical Features
• Epithelial Ovarian Cancer Investigation
• Creativity in People With Cancer
• Cancer: Alternative and Complementary Therapies
• Promotion of Cardiovascular Health and Cancer Prevention
• Breast Cancer: Crucial Issues
• Cancer Longitudinal Exploration
• Breast Cancer: At-Risk Population, Barriers, and Improvement
• Effective Solutions to the Prevention of Cervical Cancer
• Breast Cancer: Moral and Medical Aspects
• Breast Cancer and AIDS: Significant Issues in the United States in the Late 20th Century
• Breast Cancer Risk Factors: Genetic and Nutritional Influences
• Breast Cancer Genetics & Chromosomal Analysis
• The Role Genetics Information Plays in Treating Cancer
• Breast Cancer: The Case of Anne H.
• Leukemia Types: Characteristics, Genetics, and Symptoms
• CRISPR and Cas-9 Technology as the Solution to Cancer
• Colon Cancer: Risk Factors
• World Health Organization Cancer Website Tool
• Long Distance Cancer Treatment Ethics
• A Community Capacity-Enhancement Approach to Breast and Cervical Cancer Screening
• The Role of Inflammation in Cancer
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: Plan for Cancer Pain
• Psychosocial Factors & Immune Mechanisms in Cancer Regulation
• Fundraising Methods for the Canadian Cancer Society
• Nutrition and Cancer Rates
• Breast Cancer Diagnosis Procedure in Saudi Arabia
• Language and Stigmatization: Cancer, HIV, and AIDS
• The Three Most Common Types of Cancer in America
• Breast Cancer and the Effects of Diet
• J. Overcash on Older Adults With Cancer
• Postmenopause Hormone Therapy and Endometrial Cancer
• Risk Factors for Cervical Cancer
• When the Smoke Clears: The Story About the Lung Cancer
• Motivational Interviewing as a Smoking Cessation Intervention for Patients With Cancer
• Genetic Predisposition to Breast Cancer: Genetic Testing
• Health Psychology: Going Through a Breast Cancer Diagnosis
• Cancer Pathophysiology and Nursing Management
• Breast Cancer: Causes and Treatment
• Integumentary System Diseases. Skin Cancer and Eczema
• Digestive Cancer. Complementary & Alternative Treatment
• The History of Cervical Cancer: Treatment and Care
• Ethics of Leukemia Treatment With Disabled HIV Cells
• Human Papillomavirus Infection and Cervical Cancer
• Colorectal Cancer Care Coordination
• Penectomy Challenges in Cancer Patients
• Monoclonal Antibodies in Treating Breast Cancer
• The American Cancer Society’s Website Evaluation
• Acute Lymphocytic and Myelogenous Leukemia in Children
• Cancer and Chemotherapy Effects on Patients
• Chronic Diseases: Heart Failure and Cancer
• Pain Reduction Metods for Cancer Patients
• Lung Cancer Stages, Complications, and Support
• Breast Cancer: Women’s Health Initiative & Practices
• Hormone Receptor-Positive Breast Cancer Pathophysiology
• Cervical Cancer and Women’s Health
• Complex Fibroadenoma and Breast Cancer Risk
• Cannabis and Cancer Pain Management
• Breast Cancer: Health Psychology Plan
• Colorectal Cancer Patient’s Discharge Planning
• Cancer Epidemic Research and Expectations
• Best Practices in Breast Cancer Care
• Carcinoma in Situ Management Options
• Cancer Epidemiology in the United States
• Understanding Pathophysiology of Cancers
• Registered Nurses and Cancer Patients
• ”Preferences for Photographic Art Among Hospitalized Patients With Cancer” by Hanson ET Al.
• Pain Assessment for Cancer Patients: Literature Search
• Keytruda as an Innovative Cancer Control Tool
• Oncology: Innovative Solutions to Fight Cancer
• Cancer, Its Nature and Gene Therapy
• Body pH and Cancer Occurrence Correlation
• Cancer: Psychological Effects and Coping Strategies
• Complementary and Alternative Medicine for Women With Breast Cancer
• Alcohol and Smoking Impact on Cancer Risk
• Decision-Making in Cancer MDT
• Ovarian Cancer: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment
• Establishing a Cancer Treatment Unit in a Hospital
• Cancer Behavior in the Elderly: Cognitive-Affective Analysis
• Cancer Alley: Environmental Justice Analysis
• Lung Cancer and Cystic Fibrosis: Diagnosis and Care
• Trinity Community Hospital’s Cancer Service Line
• Blood Test and Cancer Spread in Children
• Reverse Mutation Concept in Cancer Biology
• Cancer and Tumor Suppressor Genes
• Skin Cancer: Diagnosis and Treatment
• Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia and Prostate Cancer
• Thyroid Cancer Chemotherapy
• Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia and Immunoglobulin M
• Colorectal Cancer Screening in the USA
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• Epigenetics and Its Role in Cancer Detection and Prevention
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• Colorectal Cancer, Diagnosis and Treatment Plan
• Cervical Cancer, Its Nature and Symptoms
• Prostate Cancer Symptoms and Laboratory Tests
• Skin Cancer in Australia and Health Campaign
• Breast Cancer Patients’ Life Quality and Wellbeing
• Obesity as a Risk Factor for Uterine Cancer
• Palliative Care for Cancer Patients: Search Strategies
• Palliative Care for Adult Cancer Patients
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• Breast Cancer Patients’ Functions and Suitable Jobs
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• Cancer Patients’ Financial Status and Life Quality
• Breast Cancer Awareness Among African Americans
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Narrative Essay on Losing a Loved One

Losing a loved one is a profound experience that reshapes our lives in ways we never imagined. It’s a journey through grief that challenges our resilience, alters our perspectives, and ultimately teaches us about the depth of love and the impermanence of life. This narrative essay explores the emotional odyssey of losing a loved one, weaving through the stages of grief, the search for meaning, and the slow, often painful, journey towards healing.

The Unthinkable Reality

It was an ordinary Tuesday morning when the phone rang, shattering the normalcy of my life. The voice on the other end was calm yet distant, bearing the kind of news that instantly makes your heart sink. My beloved grandmother, who had been battling a long illness, had passed away in her sleep. Despite the inevitability of this moment, I was not prepared for the crushing weight of the reality that I would never see her again. The initial shock was numbing, a protective cloak that shielded me from the full impact of my loss.

The Onslaught of Grief

In the days that followed, grief washed over me in waves. At times, it was a quiet sadness that lingered in the background of my daily activities. At others, it was a torrential downpour of emotions, leaving me gasping for air. I struggled with the finality of death, replaying our last conversations, wishing for one more moment to express my love and gratitude. Anger, confusion, and disbelief intermingled, forming a tumultuous storm of feelings I could neither control nor understand.

The rituals of mourning—funeral arrangements, sympathy cards, and memorial services—offered a semblance of structure amidst the chaos. Yet, they also served as stark reminders of the gaping void left by my grandmother’s absence. Stories and memories shared by friends and family painted a rich tapestry of her life, highlighting the profound impact she had on those around her. Through tear-stained eyes, I began to see the extent of my loss, not just as a personal tragedy but as a collective one.

The Search for Meaning

As the initial shock subsided, my grief evolved into a quest for meaning. I sought solace in religion, philosophy, and the arts, searching for answers to the unanswerable questions of life and death. I learned that grief is a universal experience, a fundamental part of the human condition that transcends cultures, religions, and time periods. This realization brought a sense of connection to those who had walked this path before me, offering a glimmer of comfort in my darkest moments.

I also found meaning in honoring my grandmother’s legacy. She was a woman of incredible strength, kindness, and wisdom, who had touched the lives of many. By embodying her values and continuing her work, I could keep her spirit alive. Volunteering, pursuing passions that we shared, and passing on her stories to younger generations became ways to heal and to make sense of a world without her.

The Journey Towards Healing

Healing from the loss of a loved one is neither linear nor predictable. There were days when I felt overwhelmed by sadness, and others when I could smile at fond memories. I learned to accept that grief is not something to be “overcome” but rather integrated into my life. It has become a part of who I am, shaping my understanding of love, loss, and the preciousness of life.

Support from friends, family, and sometimes strangers, who shared their own stories of loss, played a crucial role in my healing process. Their empathy and understanding provided a safe space to express my feelings, to cry, to laugh, and to remember. Counseling and support groups offered additional perspectives and coping strategies, highlighting the importance of seeking help and connection in times of sorrow.

Reflections on Love and Loss

Through this journey, I have come to understand that the pain of loss is a testament to the depth of our love. Grieving deeply means we have loved deeply, and this is both the curse and the beauty of human connections. The scars of loss never truly fade, but they become bearable, interwoven with the love and memories we hold dear.

Losing a loved one is a transformative experience that teaches us about resilience, compassion, and the enduring power of love. It reminds us to cherish the time we have with those we love, to express our feelings openly, and to live fully in the present moment. While the absence of a loved one leaves an irreplaceable void, their influence continues to shape our lives in profound ways.

In closing, the journey through grief is uniquely personal, yet universally shared. It challenges us to find strength we didn’t know we had, to seek connection in our shared humanity, and to discover meaning in the face of loss. Though we may never “get over” the loss of a loved one, we learn to carry their legacy forward, finding solace in the love that never dies but transforms over time.

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Telling the Story of Yourself: 6 Steps to Writing Personal Narratives

Jennifer Xue

Table of Contents

Why do we write personal narratives, 6 guidelines for writing personal narrative essays, inspiring personal narratives, examples of personal narrative essays, tell your story.

First off, you might be wondering: what is a personal narrative? In short, personal narratives are stories we tell about ourselves that focus on our growth, lessons learned, and reflections on our experiences.

From stories about inspirational figures we heard as children to any essay, article, or exercise where we're asked to express opinions on a situation, thing, or individual—personal narratives are everywhere.

According to Psychology Today, personal narratives allow authors to feel and release pains, while savouring moments of strength and resilience. Such emotions provide an avenue for both authors and readers to connect while supporting healing in the process.

That all sounds great. But when it comes to putting the words down on paper, we often end up with a list of experiences and no real structure to tie them together.

In this article, we'll discuss what a personal narrative essay is further, learn the 6 steps to writing one, and look at some examples of great personal narratives.

As readers, we're fascinated by memoirs, autobiographies, and long-form personal narrative articles, as they provide a glimpse into the authors' thought processes, ideas, and feelings. But you don't have to be writing your whole life story to create a personal narrative.

You might be a student writing an admissions essay , or be trying to tell your professional story in a cover letter. Regardless of your purpose, your narrative will focus on personal growth, reflections, and lessons.

Personal narratives help us connect with other people's stories due to their easy-to-digest format and because humans are empathising creatures.

We can better understand how others feel and think when we were told stories that allow us to see the world from their perspectives. The author's "I think" and "I feel" instantaneously become ours, as the brain doesn't know whether what we read is real or imaginary.

In her best-selling book Wired for Story, Lisa Cron explains that the human brain craves tales as it's hard-wired through evolution to learn what happens next. Since the brain doesn't know whether what you are reading is actual or not, we can register the moral of the story cognitively and affectively.

In academia, a narrative essay tells a story which is experiential, anecdotal, or personal. It allows the author to creatively express their thoughts, feelings, ideas, and opinions. Its length can be anywhere from a few paragraphs to hundreds of pages.

Outside of academia, personal narratives are known as a form of journalism or non-fiction works called "narrative journalism." Even highly prestigious publications like the New York Times and Time magazine have sections dedicated to personal narratives. The New Yorke is a magazine dedicated solely to this genre.

The New York Times holds personal narrative essay contests. The winners are selected because they:

had a clear narrative arc with a conflict and a main character who changed in some way. They artfully balanced the action of the story with reflection on what it meant to the writer. They took risks, like including dialogue or playing with punctuation, sentence structure and word choice to develop a strong voice. And, perhaps most important, they focused on a specific moment or theme – a conversation, a trip to the mall, a speech tournament, a hospital visit – instead of trying to sum up the writer’s life in 600 words.

In a nutshell, a personal narrative can cover any reflective and contemplative subject with a strong voice and a unique perspective, including uncommon private values. It's written in first person and the story encompasses a specific moment in time worthy of a discussion.

Writing a personal narrative essay involves both objectivity and subjectivity. You'll need to be objective enough to recognise the importance of an event or a situation to explore and write about. On the other hand, you must be subjective enough to inject private thoughts and feelings to make your point.

With personal narratives, you are both the muse and the creator – you have control over how your story is told. However, like any other type of writing, it comes with guidelines.

1. Write Your Personal Narrative as a Story

As a story, it must include an introduction, characters, plot, setting, climax, anti-climax (if any), and conclusion. Another way to approach it is by structuring it with an introduction, body, and conclusion. The introduction should set the tone, while the body should focus on the key point(s) you want to get across. The conclusion can tell the reader what lessons you have learned from the story you've just told.

2. Give Your Personal Narrative a Clear Purpose

Your narrative essay should reflect your unique perspective on life. This is a lot harder than it sounds. You need to establish your perspective, the key things you want your reader to take away, and your tone of voice. It's a good idea to have a set purpose in mind for the narrative before you start writing.

Let's say you want to write about how you manage depression without taking any medicine. This could go in any number of ways, but isolating a purpose will help you focus your writing and choose which stories to tell. Are you advocating for a holistic approach, or do you want to describe your emotional experience for people thinking of trying it?

Having this focus will allow you to put your own unique take on what you did (and didn't do, if applicable), what changed you, and the lessons learned along the way.

3. Show, Don't Tell

It's a narration, so the narrative should show readers what happened, instead of telling them. As well as being a storyteller, the author should take part as one of the characters. Keep this in mind when writing, as the way you shape your perspective can have a big impact on how your reader sees your overarching plot. Don't slip into just explaining everything that happened because it happened to you. Show your reader with action.

You can check for instances of telling rather than showing with ProWritingAid. For example, instead of:

"You never let me do anything!" I cried disdainfully.

"You never let me do anything!" To this day, my mother swears that the glare I levelled at her as I spat those words out could have soured milk.

Using ProWritingAid will help you find these instances in your manuscript and edit them without spending hours trawling through your work yourself.

4. Use "I," But Don't Overuse It

You, the author, take ownership of the story, so the first person pronoun "I" is used throughout. However, you shouldn't overuse it, as it'd make it sound too self-centred and redundant.

ProWritingAid can also help you here – the Style Report will tell you if you've started too many sentences with "I", and show you how to introduce more variation in your writing.

5. Pay Attention to Tenses

Tense is key to understanding. Personal narratives mostly tell the story of events that happened in the past, so many authors choose to use the past tense. This helps separate out your current, narrating voice and your past self who you are narrating. If you're writing in the present tense, make sure that you keep it consistent throughout.

6. Make Your Conclusion Satisfying

Satisfy your readers by giving them an unforgettable closing scene. The body of the narration should build up the plot to climax. This doesn't have to be something incredible or shocking, just something that helps give an interesting take on your story.

The takeaways or the lessons learned should be written without lecturing. Whenever possible, continue to show rather than tell. Don't say what you learned, narrate what you do differently now. This will help the moral of your story shine through without being too preachy.

GoodReads is a great starting point for selecting read-worthy personal narrative books. Here are five of my favourites.

Owl Moon by Jane Yolen

Jane Yolen, the author of 386 books, wrote this poetic story about a daughter and her father who went owling. Instead of learning about owls, Yolen invites readers to contemplate the meaning of gentleness and hope.

Night by Elie Wiesel

Elie Wiesel was a teenager when he and his family were sent to Auschwitz concentration camp in 1944. This Holocaust memoir has a strong message that such horrific events should never be repeated.

The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank

This classic is a must-read by young and old alike. It's a remarkable diary by a 13-year-old Jewish girl who hid inside a secret annexe of an old building during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands in 1942.

The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion

This is a personal narrative written by a brave author renowned for her clarity, passion, and honesty. Didion shares how in December 2003, she lost her husband of 40 years to a massive heart attack and dealt with the acute illness of her only daughter. She speaks about grief, memories, illness, and hope.

Educated by Tara Westover

Author Tara Westover was raised by survivalist parents. She didn't go to school until 17 years of age, which later took her to Harvard and Cambridge. It's a story about the struggle for quest for knowledge and self-reinvention.

Narrative and personal narrative journalism are gaining more popularity these days. You can find distinguished personal narratives all over the web.

Curating the best of the best of personal narratives and narrative essays from all over the web. Some are award-winning articles.

Narratively

Long-form writing to celebrate humanity through storytelling. It publishes personal narrative essays written to provoke, inspire, and reflect, touching lesser-known and overlooked subjects.

Narrative Magazine

It publishes non,fiction narratives, poetry, and fiction. Among its contributors is Frank Conroy, the author of Stop-Time , a memoir that has never been out of print since 1967.

Thought Catalog

Aimed at Generation Z, it publishes personal narrative essays on self-improvement, family, friendship, romance, and others.

Personal narratives will continue to be popular as our brains are wired for stories. We love reading about others and telling stories of ourselves, as they bring satisfaction and a better understanding of the world around us.

Personal narratives make us better humans. Enjoy telling yours!

Write like a bestselling author

Love writing? ProWritingAid will help you improve the style, strength, and clarity of your stories.

Jennifer Xue is an award-winning e-book author with 2,500+ articles and 100+ e-books/reports published under her belt. She also taught 50+ college-level essay and paper writing classes. Her byline has appeared in Forbes, Fortune, Cosmopolitan, Esquire, Business.com, Business2Community, Addicted2Success, Good Men Project, and others. Her blog is JenniferXue.com. Follow her on Twitter @jenxuewrites].

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Catherine’s Cancer Disclosure Shows Her Lessons From Previous Media Ordeals

“They know they can’t control the online world,” one expert on the royal family said about the recent spate of revelations about the health of Catherine and King Charles III.

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By Mark Landler

Reporting from London

For more than two months, Catherine, Princess of Wales, had lost control of her story to a spiral of wild, baseless online rumors. On Friday evening, with a stark two-minute, 13-second video, she set out to reclaim it.

To do so, the princess had to deliver the wrenching news that she was battling a life-threatening cancer, the kind of deeply personal disclosure that she and her husband, Prince William, have long resisted.

Catherine, 42, made the decision to record the video herself, three people familiar with the planning process said on Saturday. Earlier, she had decided to post an apology for digitally altering a photograph of herself with her three children, which set off a new round of conspiracy theories after it was released on Mother’s Day in Britain.

“This was pitch perfect from her perspective,” said Peter Hunt, a former royal correspondent at the BBC. “The fact that it was a video was a rebuke to all those questions about her whereabouts.”

In opting to go public this way, Catherine has etched a place for herself in the annals of the British royal family and among the women of the House of Windsor. The video, in its frankness and barely concealed emotion, recalled Queen Elizabeth II’s televised message days after the car crash that killed Diana, Princess of Wales, in 1997.

Catherine seemed to be modeling herself on Elizabeth, whose video was intended to douse another media firestorm, over whether she and the royal family had not displayed appropriate grief after Diana’s death. It also set her apart from Diana, who was ultimately a victim of the media currents that swirled around her.

While Catherine did not answer key questions about her illness — what form of cancer? how far has it spread? how long will she be treated with chemotherapy? — the announcement could dispel most of the conspiracy theories that have enveloped her since she underwent abdominal surgery in January.

Like King Charles III, who confirmed last month that he, too, has cancer , the policy of partial disclosure seemed calculated to satisfy a relentlessly curious news media and public, while preserving some measure of privacy. In Catherine’s case, that seemed particularly important, given her three young children.

“They know they can’t control the online world,” Mr. Hunt said. “But they will hope the media will look hard at itself after this and stop recycling this nonsense. They’ll make clear to the papers that they have an expectation of privacy.”

In a briefing on Friday for reporters who cover the royal family, a spokesman for Kensington Palace gave the same answer five times to questions about the nature and extent of Catherine’s cancer, where and how often she was being treated, and why she underwent surgery.

“We will not be sharing any further private medical information,” the spokesman said. “The princess has a right to medical privacy, as we all do.”

Catherine’s hospitalization kicked off a cycle of speculation that was extraordinary even by the standards of the royal family. Her medical condition, whereabouts and relationship with William were endlessly dissected on social media, even making it into the monologue of the American late-night television host Stephen Colbert.

Kensington Palace, where Catherine and William have their offices, struggled to manage the crisis from the start. Its refusal to disclose details about her condition when she entered the hospital created an information vacuum that an online army quickly filled with increasingly outlandish theories.

When the palace distributed the photograph of Catherine, flanked by George, Charlotte and Louis, it was meant to serve as a kind of proof-of-life image. But the plan backfired after The Associated Press, Reuters and other news agencies found evidence that the image had been manipulated.

Far from quelling the speculation, it ignited more rumors, leaving the palace unsettled and stung. At that point, people with knowledge of the process said, Catherine decided to post on her social media account that she had been responsible for editing the photograph, though it was taken by William.

The chaos deepened last week, after a video surfaced of Catherine and William leaving a food shop near their home in Windsor. While these people insisted that the palace did not orchestrate the sighting, officials did not push back on the newspapers that published the images, which was out of character for William, who has pressured papers not to run paparazzi-type photos.

That the couple would have to disclose Catherine’s cancer was never in question, according to one of the people, who advised the palace in recent days and spoke on the condition of anonymity for privacy reasons. Allegations last week that staff members at the London Clinic, where Catherine was treated, had tried to gain access to her private medical records were a reminder that it would be nearly impossible to keep that kind of information under wraps indefinitely.

The question was when and how. The communications staff ran through several options, this person said, among them waiting until after Easter. The couple chose Friday because it was the day their children began their school holiday, which meant they would not have to face questions on the playground about their mother’s illness.

Once the date for the disclosure was set, officials discussed whether to issue a written palace statement — like Buckingham Palace did with the cancer diagnosis of Charles — or to have Catherine post the news on the couple’s Instagram and X accounts. But given the fallout from the Mother’s Day photograph, Catherine opted to speak directly to a camera.

Rather than record the video with an internal crew or hire a private company, the palace contacted BBC Studios, the company’s production arm. That was also deliberate, this person said, because it wanted the imprimatur of Britain’s public broadcaster on the video after the photo debacle.

Adding to the complications is staff turnover at Kensington Palace. William’s new private secretary, Ian Patrick, took up his role only two weeks ago. A former British diplomat who served in Bosnia, he worked closely on the process with Lt. Col. Tom White, who began this month as Catherine’s private secretary. He is a former Royal Marines officer who served as an equerry, or aide, to Elizabeth.

Both men worked with Lee Thompson, a former NBC public relations official who is the couple’s communications secretary. They also consulted with several former communications advisers, according to another person briefed by the palace, who spoke on the condition of anonymity for privacy reasons.

For all the drama surrounding the announcement, it will not put questions about Catherine entirely to rest. The palace is still guarding the family’s privacy, refusing to comment on their whereabouts on Saturday, for example.

“William has two crucial aspects as he takes on his destiny as a future king: privacy and control,” Mr. Hunt said. “He had to cede the control to deliver privacy for his wife. But by focusing so much on privacy, they created the information vacuum that resulted in all this white noise and nonsense.”

On Friday at least, Catherine silenced the noise.

Mark Landler is the London bureau chief of The Times, covering the United Kingdom, as well as American foreign policy in Europe, Asia and the Middle East. He has been a journalist for more than three decades. More about Mark Landler

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Intramural By Janelle Weaver and Meklit Daniel

Standardizing zebrafish studies for toxicology testing

Zebrafish experiments across different laboratories produce generally consistent results regarding test substances’ activity, but not their potencies, according to researchers from the Division of Translational Toxicology.

Embryonic zebrafish represent a useful test system to screen substances based on their ability to perturb development. However, the exposure scenarios, endpoints captured, and data analyses vary among the laboratories that conduct screening. A lack of harmonization impedes the comparison of substance potency and toxicity outcomes across laboratories and may hinder the broader adoption of this model for regulatory use.

To address this problem, the researchers developed the Systematic Evaluation of the Application of Zebrafish in Toxicology (SEAZIT) initiative to investigate the sources of variability in toxicity testing. This initiative involved an interlaboratory study to determine whether experimental parameters altered the developmental toxicity of a set of 42 substances in three diverse laboratories.

The researchers observed reasonable agreement across the three laboratories as 33 of 42 test substances (78.6%) had the same activity call (i.e., a test substance generated a response [active] vs. no response [inactive]). However, the differences in potency seen using variable in-house protocols emphasize the importance of harmonizing exposure variables under evaluation. According to the authors, the lessons learned from the study emphasize the potential benefits of standardized testing protocols for the zebrafish research community interested in toxicology testing. (JW)

Citation : Hamm JT, Hsieh JH, Roberts GK, Collins B, Gorospe J, Sparrow B, Walker NJ, Truong L, Tanguay RL, Dyballa S, Miñana R, Schiavone V, Terriente J, Weiner A, Muriana A, Quevedo C, Ryan KR. 2024. Interlaboratory study on zebrafish in toxicology: Systematic Evaluation of the Application of Zebrafish in Toxicology's (SEAZIT's) evaluation of developmental toxicity. Toxics 12(1):93.

Personal care product use during puberty may affect breast cancer risk

Frequent use of personal care products (PCPs) during puberty may lead to increased breast cancer rates later in life, according to NIEHS researchers. The study is the first to investigate the use of “everyday” PCPs, such as makeup and skincare products, around the time of puberty in relation to breast cancer incidence.

Many PCPs contain endocrine-disrupting chemicals that may affect breast cancer risk. Racial and ethnic differences in PCP use patterns and the chemicals in products marketed to specific groups may contribute to breast cancer disparities. Breast tissue undergoes rapid changes during puberty and may be vulnerable to the effects of chemicals in PCPs.

To examine how use of 37 everyday PCPs during puberty may affect breast cancer incidence, the researchers analyzed self-reported data from 4,049 Black, 2,104 Hispanic, and 39,312 White women in the Sister Study. PCP use patterns at ages 10-13 years were not clearly linked with breast cancer diagnosis. However, breast cancer rates were elevated among Black women who reported frequent nail and perfume product use during puberty and among Black and Hispanic women who reported frequent hair product use during the same period.

According to the authors, these findings provide some evidence that frequent PCP use during puberty is associated with increased breast cancer risk, especially among racially and ethnically minoritized groups. More research is needed to determine whether reducing PCP use during this critical developmental window may reduce breast cancer risk.

Citation : Goldberg M, Chang CJ, Ogunsina K, O'Brien KM, Taylor KW, White AJ, Sandler DP. 2024. Personal care product use during puberty and incident breast cancer among Black, Hispanic/Latina, and White women in a prospective US-wide cohort . Environ Health Perspect 132(2):27001. (MD)

Autoantibodies signal poor prognosis for inflammatory condition

Myositis-associated autoantibodies (MAAs) are a prevalent marker of poor prognosis for patients with juvenile myositis, according to NIEHS researchers and their collaborators.

Myositis is a medical condition characterized by inflammation affecting the muscles. The manifestations of this condition may include skin issues, muscle weakness, and the potential involvement of other organs. MAAs are immune system proteins that are directed against one or more of the individual's own proteins. They are present in patients with myositis and other autoimmune connective tissue diseases. Overall, MAAs remain largely uncharacterized in juvenile-onset myositis. Moreover, it is unknown whether the number of MAAs is associated with disease severity.

To this end, the researchers characterized the prevalence, clinical features, and outcomes associated with MAAs in a large North American cohort of patients with juvenile-onset myositis. Among 551 patients, 36% had an MAA and 13% had more than one MAA.

MAA positivity was associated with certain clinical features, including Raynaud phenomenon and interstitial lung disease, as well as a chronic disease course and mortality. The number of MAAs also was associated with mortality. According to the authors, prospective studies are needed to determine whether early detection of MAAs may lead to improved outcomes for patients with juvenile myositis. (JW)

Citation : Sherman MA, Noroozi Farhadi P, Pak K, Trieu EP, Sarkar K, Targoff IN, Neely ML, Mammen AL, Rider LG; Childhood Myositis Heterogeneity Collaborative Study Group. 2024. Myositis-associated autoantibodies in juvenile myositis are associated with refractory disease and mortality . Arthritis Rheumatol; doi: 10.1002/art.42813. [Online ahead of print 25 Jan. 2024].

How smoking affects DNA methylation

Thousands of DNA methylation patterns have been linked to smoking, and most revert to normal within one year of quitting, according to NIEHS researchers and their collaborators.

Smoking causes adverse health outcomes throughout life as well as alterations in DNA methylation — a biological process by which methyl groups are added to the DNA molecule. Although it is well established that smoking leads to changes in DNA methylation at specific CpG sites, several important research gaps remain.

To address these knowledge gaps, the researchers analyzed data from 15,014 adults from four studies. They identified several thousand CpGs linked to smoking. The results also showed that the effects of smoking on DNA methylation can be largely reversed within one year of quitting. However, 25% of CpGs did not attenuate within one year. Smoking-related methylation at some CpG sites may differ by sex or dietary factors. In addition, exposure to smoking during pregnancy alters DNA methylation with effects that last into adulthood.

Taken together, the results address important gaps regarding impacts of smoking on methylation with potential insights into smoking-related health outcomes, many of which persist after quitting. Moreover, the findings demonstrate that pregnancy is a vulnerable window of susceptibility that can alter DNA methylation throughout life. (JW)

Citation : Hoang TT, Lee Y, McCartney DL, Kersten ETG, Page CM, Hulls PM, Lee M, Walker RM, Breeze CE, Bennett BD, Burkholder AB, Ward J, Brantsæter AL, Caspersen IH, Motsinger-Reif AA, Richards M, White JD, Zhao S, Richmond RC, Magnus MC; BIOS Consortium; Koppelman GH, Evans KL, Marioni RE, Håberg SE, London SJ. 2024. Comprehensive evaluation of smoking exposures and their interactions on DNA methylation . EBioMedicine 100:104956.

Outdoor air pollution may be linked to uterine cancer in U.S. women

Residential exposure to nitrogen dioxide (NO2), a possible proxy for vehicular traffic-related pollution, is associated with a higher incidence of uterine cancer among U.S. women, according to NIEHS researchers and their collaborators.

Outdoor air pollution consists of a heterogenous mixture of compounds, some of which may function as endocrine disruptors and therefore may be particularly relevant to hormone-related health conditions. For example, NO2 has been consistently associated with a higher risk of breast cancer. However, few studies have examined the relationship between ambient air pollution and uterine cancer.

To address this gap, the researchers investigated whether residential exposure to outdoor air pollution — specifically NO2 and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) — was associated with uterine cancer incidence among 33,417 women in the NIEHS Sister Study cohort. Although no association was observed for PM2.5, a five parts-per-billion increase in NO2 was associated with a 20% higher incidence of uterine cancer. This association for NO2 was also particularly apparent in women living in urban areas, but not those in rural or suburban areas.

These findings suggest a relationship between traffic-related emissions and uterine cancer, thus expanding the scope of health effects associated with outdoor air pollution and highlighting the need for policy and other interventions to reduce air pollutant levels.

Citation : Brown JA, Ish JL, Chang CJ, Bookwalter DB, O'Brien KM, Jones RR, Kaufman JD, Sandler DP, White AJ. 2024. Outdoor air pollution exposure and uterine cancer incidence in the Sister Study . J Natl Cancer Inst djae031. (MD)

(Janelle Weaver, Ph.D., is a contract writer for the NIEHS Office of Communications and Public Liaison, and Meklit Daniel is a fellow in the NIEHS Environment and Cancer Epidemiology Group.)