Experiences of self-care in patients with colorectal cancer: a longitudinal study

This paper is a report of a study to explore patients’ experiences of self-care during a 6-month course of chemotherapy treatment for colorectal cancer. A greater degree of patient involvement in self-care is increasingly being encouraged, however, little is known about patients’ experiences of being actively involved in their self-care. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with 11 patients at the beginning and end of their treatment for colorectal cancer in a Scottish cancer centre between March 2005 and June 2006. The ways in which participants were actively involved in managing the impact of undergoing chemotherapy treatment and their understandings of the meaning of self-care were explored.