Lived experience of watchful waiting in NHL: A qualitative analysis v1
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Understanding the experience of watchful waiting in Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma: A qualitative study using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA).
IRAS ID
225403
Contact name
Amy Mitchell
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Oxford, Clinical Trials and Research Governance Joint Research Office
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 8 months, 29 days
Research summary
The aim of this research will be to describe the lived experiences of watchful waiting from the perspective of patients with Non Hodgkin Lymphoma (NHL). Many patients with NHL have no symptoms or are mildly symptomatic at diagnosis. Watchful waiting usually involves a patient diagnosed with NHL not having any treatment, and regular active monitoring if the lymphoma is ‘indolent.’ The watchful waiting period is followed by active treatment only once the NHL shows clear signs of progression. Patients given a NHL diagnosis may find it hard to accept a diagnosis of cancer for which no treatment is recommended, and which may not cause symptoms for a long time. Previous research has shown that people managing a cancer diagnosis by watchful waiting may experience negative psychological effects including depression, anxiety and reduced quality of life. However, little attention has been paid to exploring the holistic impact of watchful waiting for those diagnosed with NHL. Therefore, this research aims to understand personal meanings of patient's NHL diagnosis, and their relationship to watchful waiting. The study will undertake qualitative interviews with 10 men or women with a diagnosis of NHL and managed by watchful waiting. People will be eligible to take part in the study if they are over the age of 18, had a NHL diagnosis for three months or longer and their treatment is currently managed by watchful waiting for the first time. Each individual interview will last an hour, and patients will be asked a series of questions about their personal experiences. Patients will be recruited from two Clinical Haematology Departments based in Reading, and Oxford. The data gathered will provide rich information from patient’s, and have implications for the ways in which professionals support and communicate watchful waiting with NHL patients.
REC name
East Midlands - Leicester Central Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
17/EM/0336
Date of REC Opinion
26 Sep 2017
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion