Exploring psychological adjustment post esophagectomy for cancer
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Unchartered territory – a thematic analysis exploring psychological adjustment to esophagectomy surgery in adults with cancer
IRAS ID
350451
Contact name
Eleanor Hanton
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of East Anglia
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 3 months, 1 days
Research summary
This study aims to explore individuals' psychological experiences following an esophagectomy. It will involve interviewing participants about how the surgery has affected their social life, mental health, and overall quality of life. It is hoped that findings from the study will provide a deeper understanding of these impacts, and contribute to the limited qualitative literature exploring this topic. Additionally findings from the study may indicate whether further psychological support or other treatment related to this would be beneficial to individuals in the future.
Oesophageal cancer is not uncommon in the UK, with 25 new cases being diagnosed every day. The main treatment for this is an esophagectomy. This involves removing all or part of the oesophagus, and sometimes part of the stomach. This surgery can be risky, and the recovery can be long. Many people report struggling with physical symptoms for up to three years after surgery. This can impact on their mental health and increase the risk of them having depression and anxiety. This can make it hard for people to follow their treatment plans, which can increase their risk of death. Despite those with oesophageal cancer having one of the highest completed suicide rates among cancer patients, the research exploring the impact on people’s mental health and quality of life after surgery remains limited.
Using a purposive sampling method, the study intends to recruit a minimum of 12 participants from a local support group held at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital. All participants will be aged 18 and over. The researcher will interview participants over one hour either face to face or online depending on participant preference. Once interviews are complete, the researcher will transcribe the interviews and conduct a thematic analysis on the collected data. This will help to generate overall themes from the interviews.REC name
HSC REC B
REC reference
25/NI/0017
Date of REC Opinion
7 Mar 2025
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion