Embodied suffering: experiences of fear in adolescent girls with cancer

Previously, fear in adolescents with cancer has been sparsely described from an emic perspective. The aim of this study was to illuminate fear in adolescents with personal experience of cancer. The participants were six adolescent girls between the age of 14 and 16 years who were no longer under active treatment for cancer but still went for regular check-ups. Open interviews were conducted. Data were analysed according to the phenomenological hermeneutic method. In the result one main theme was identified: 'an embodied fear - a threat to the personal self'. This theme was built up by three separate but intertwined themes: 'experiencing fear related to the physical body', 'experiencing existential fear' and 'experiencing fear related to the social self'. In the comprehensive understanding the fear was interpreted from youth cultural aspects as well as a holistic perspective. The importance of professionals taking the whole person and their situation into account when meeting the fear is underlined.