Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39907811›Full record

ArticleSupportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer2025

Behind the label: a qualitative study of the self-perceptions of individuals with advanced lung cancer receiving immunotherapy or targeted therapy.

Alanna K Chu, Wardat Yasmine Sehabi, Emma Kearns, Tim Aubry, Rinat Nissim, Paul Wheatley-Price, Sophie Lebel

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Article in Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

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PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Alanna K ChuSchool of Psychology, University of Ottawa, 136 Jean Jacques Lussier, Room 3087, Ottawa, ON, K1N6N5, Canada. alanna.chu@uottawa.ca.
Wardat Yasmine SehabiSchool of Psychology, University of Ottawa, 136 Jean Jacques Lussier, Room 3087, Ottawa, ON, K1N6N5, Canada.
Emma KearnsSchool of Psychology, University of Ottawa, 136 Jean Jacques Lussier, Room 3087, Ottawa, ON, K1N6N5, Canada.
Tim AubrySchool of Psychology, University of Ottawa, 136 Jean Jacques Lussier, Room 3087, Ottawa, ON, K1N6N5, Canada.
Rinat NissimPrincess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Paul Wheatley-PriceThe Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
Sophie LebelSchool of Psychology, University of Ottawa, 136 Jean Jacques Lussier, Room 3087, Ottawa, ON, K1N6N5, Canada.

Funding

Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada 892-2021-0070
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesIndividuals with lung cancer are living longer due to recent treatment advances such as immunotherapy and targeted therapy. The preferred label(s) of this new population are unknown. This is important as personal/advocacy benefits have been reported by using "survivor" or "thriver" by some groups; however, these same labels have been rejected by others. The goal of the present study was to explore the meaning of different labels and reasons given for preferred label(s) among people diagnosed with advanced lung cancer receiving these treatments.

methodsThe study is part of a larger project conducted in partnership with Lung Cancer Canada to identify the supportive care needs of individuals with advanced lung cancer receiving immunotherapy or targeted therapy. Participants (n = 24) were recruited across Canada. In-depth qualitative interviews were coded using reflexive thematic analysis.

resultsLabels are important and serve four functions: meaning-making, acceptance, maintaining a positive outlook, and shaping how people in participants' circle understand and react to them. Participants felt their experience did not fit traditional labels. While "survivor" was associated with maintaining a positive outlook by some, it was strongly rejected by others as it implied a cure. Some felt "patient" conveyed realism, but others found it deprived them of empowerment. "Person living with cancer" was perceived as reflecting the ongoing nature of the disease while not overly centring cancer within a person's identity.

conclusionParticipants identified with various labels and emphasized how the label reflected their identity and psychological experiences of the disease. Thus, it is important that clinicians elicit and use individuals' preferred terms, and default to person-first language if unknown.

Indexed as

Cancer SurvivorsImmunotherapyLung NeoplasmsSelf ConceptAdultAgedAged, 80 and overCanadaFemaleHumansInterviews as TopicMaleMiddle AgedMolecular Targeted TherapyQualitative ResearchCanadaLung cancerSurvivor

Identifiers

PMID39907811

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.