Cancer–Peer Connection in the Context of Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer: A Qualitative Exploration
Abstract
Purpose: This qualitative study examined experiences and attitudes related to cancer–peer interactions among adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer survivors. Methods: Twenty-six survivors, aged 16–24 years who were diagnosed with cancer between the ages of 14 and 18, completed one-on-one semistructured interviews as part of a larger study. Interviews were coded and analyzed using an iterative consensus and data-driven approach. Results: The data for this study revealed three main themes related to cancer peers, including the unique aspects of shared illness experience (i.e., personalizing of support from lived experience, inspiration from upward comparisons, space to be scared and to joke about cancer), benefits of providing support to other patients/survivors (i.e., giving back, healing after cancer, and incorporating cancer into life as a survivor), and considerations and concerns when connecting with cancer peers (i.e., exposure to adverse outcomes, “ignorance is bliss”: blocking cancer out, guilt and cancer imposter syndrome). Conclusion: Study findings demonstrate the importance of cancer–peer connection and support in AYA cancer care, both during treatment and in survivorship. Future research should explore the ways in which peer-to-peer support programs could be tailored to best serve the AYA population in the context of cancer care.
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YA have limited opportunities to connect with other YA with cancer following diagnosis and often feel as though their peers, family, and members of their community do not understand what it is like to be a young person who has had cancer.
“Our work [33] and the work of others [53, 54, 85] suggest that YA have limited opportunities to connect with other YA with cancer following diagnosis and often feel as though their peers, family, and members of their community do not understand what it is like to be a young person who has had cancer.”
From Improving symptom management for survivors of young adult cancer: rationale and study protocol for a pilot randomized controlled trial (2024) · cites this paper as [85]
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Self-citation
- Authors
- Hotchkiss, M. E., Ahmad, Z. N., & Ford, J. S.
- Affiliations
- City University of New York (US)
- The Graduate Center, CUNY (US)
- Corresponding author
- Ford, Jennifer S.
- Venue
- Journal of Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2023-02-01
- Volume
- 12
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 83-92
- ISSN
- 2156-5333 (ISSN-L)
- 2156-535X
- OpenAlex
- W4225899920
- Cited by
- 20
- References
- 45
- Citations by year
- 2026: 5 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 5 · 2023: 2 · 2012: 1
- FWCI
- 3.85
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health › Childhood Cancer Survivors' Quality of Life
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Oncology › Cancer survivorship and care
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Family Support in Illness
- Keywords
- adolescent and young adult cancer, cancer survivors, peer connection, peer support, survivorship, guilt, social support, lived experience
- MeSH terms
- Cancer Survivors, Survivorship, Adolescent, Humans, Neoplasms, Peer Group, Survivors, Qualitative Research, Young Adult
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