In life and in death: the story of people living with metastatic cancer

ABSTRACT

Advances in the treatment of metastatic cancers such as melanoma enable patients to live for many years. However, melanoma patients are under constant threat of a recurrence or a new growth, are under intensive follow-up, and must avoid exposure to the sun. These factors engender anxiety, a constant fear of recurrence, and a reduction in routine activity, thus requiring patients to develop mechanisms for coping simultaneously with the illness and the threat of death. This study uses content analysis of the documentation of a support group for metastatic melanoma patients to examine how they cope with both. The findings suggest that they are able to cope with both simultaneously. However, perhaps because they recognise their total lack of control over the illness, they exercise control in how they cope with death. The findings suggest that support groups like the one documented in this article could serve as sheltered and effective therapeutic spaces for coping with the threat of death.

KEYWORDS:

• Melanoma
• cancer
• group therapy
• death

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Miriam Levinger

Miriam Levinger, PhD, is a social worker, supervisor and group facilitator. She is a lecturer at the School for Social Work at the Sapir Academic College and at the Central School for Workers in the Social Services in Israel.

Zehavit Spitzer

Zehavit Spitzer, MSW, is the head of the social work service at Wolfson Medical Center – Israel. She worked until December 2017 as the head of social work oncology team, at the Medical Center of Sheba - Tel Hashomer – Israel.

Shahar Michael

Shahar Michael, MSW, is a social worker at the HIV Center who also works in the Clinic for Infectious Diseases at the Medical Center of Sheba - Tel Hashomer - Israel.