Balancing cancer and comorbidity: a multicenter qualitative study on how comorbidity shapes survivorship care preferences in China
摘要
As cancer survivorship increasingly overlaps with chronic disease management, understanding how comorbidity shapes survivors’ care experiences is essential. This study aimed to explore how comorbidity influences cancer survivors’ experiences of follow-up care and their expectations of primary care within China’s evolving health system.
MethodsA multicenter qualitative study using a descriptive phenomenological approach was conducted across 9 community-level sites in Shandong Province, China. Semi-structured, face-to-face interviews were undertaken with 50 adult cancer survivors living with at least one chronic non-cancer comorbidity. Participants were purposively selected from a larger survey sample using maximum variation sampling. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using thematic analysis. Data collection continued until saturation was achieved.
ResultsThree overarching themes emerged. First, comorbidity amplified fragmentation across specialist-driven care pathways, placing survivors in the role of self-coordinators and reinforcing the need for a central primary care provider. Second, overlapping symptoms across cancer and chronic conditions generated persistent uncertainty, increasing survivors’ demand for interpretive support from primary care. Third, comorbidity reframed survivorship as a long-term, chronic experience, heightening expectations for continuity, emotional support, and assistance with daily-life management.
ConclusionsComorbidity fundamentally reshapes cancer survivorship care needs, underscoring the importance of integrating oncology follow-up within primary care–based chronic disease management frameworks.
Implications for Cancer SurvivorsStrengthening primary care coordination and continuity may reduce uncertainty, ease self-management burdens, and improve the overall survivorship experience for individuals living with cancer and comorbidity.