The Nature of Communication Work During Cancer: Advancing the Theory of Illness Trajectories

Abstract

More theory development about interpersonal communication during cancer is needed so that scholarship can be advanced and practical applications of findings can be best disseminated and applied. We proposed an evidence-based extension to the theory of illness trajectories based on findings from a qualitative study of cancer survivors' (n = 40) experiences with communication. Grounding our analysis in respondents' descriptions of the demands, obligations, and preparatory activities involved in discussing their cancer, we theorized the construct of communication work, which focuses on the labor and resources devoted to managing talk during cancer and living with illness. Findings are discussed in terms of how this conceptualization presents new opportunities for research and practice.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Erin Donovan-Kicken (Ph.D., University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication Studies at the University of Texas at Austin, where Andrew Tollison and Elizabeth Goins are doctoral candidates. This research was conducted in collaboration with the Seton Family of Hospitals in Austin, TX, and was supported in part by a Junior Faculty Fellowship from the College of Communication at the University of Texas. The authors extend their sincere thanks to Michael Davis and Kirsten Orand for their assistance with the focus-group interviews.