Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2022 Mar 22;58(4):461.
doi: 10.3390/medicina58040461.

Existential Insights in Cancer: Meaning in Life Adaptability

David F Carreno  1 , Nikolett Eisenbeck  2
Affiliations
Review

Existential Insights in Cancer: Meaning in Life Adaptability

David F Carreno et al. Medicina (Kaunas). .

Abstract

Previous research demonstrated that the cancer diagnosis and treatment evoke existential concerns, especially ones related to meaning in life and meaning-making processes. The cancer experience is a vital challenge that often entails changes in what is personally important in life. Firstly, this paper collects evidence supporting that meaning adaptability, the way people adapt their meaning in life to the cancer experience, is a central element in the mental health of cancer patients. Various theories that could account for this meaning adaptability are introduced. Secondly, the paper provides a compilation of studies showing how people change what is significant in their lives within the course of cancer. Finally, the paper presents the available psychological therapies directed to facilitate meaning adaptability in this population. Meaning-centered interventions have been demonstrated to be effective in alleviating the suffering related to the cancer experience and promoting personal growth.

Keywords: cancer; meaning in life; meaning-centered psychotherapy; psychological therapy; values.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

References

    1. Global Cancer Observatory: Cancer Today Lyon: International Agency for Research on Cancer. 2020. [(accessed on 15 March 2022)]. Available online: https://gco.iarc.fr/today.
    1. Strang P. Existential consequences of unrelieved cancer pain. Palliat. Med. 1997;11:299–305. doi: 10.1177/026921639701100406. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Henoch I., Danielson E. Existential concerns among patients with cancer and interventions to meet them: An integrative literature review. Psycho-Oncology. 2009;18:225–236. doi: 10.1002/pon.1424. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Ross L. Spiritual care in nursing: An overview of the research to date. J. Clin. Nurs. 2006;15:852–862. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2702.2006.01617.x. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Weisman A.D., Worden J.W. The existential plight in cancer: Significance of the first 100 days. Int. J. Psychiatry Med. 1977;7:1–15. doi: 10.2190/UQ2G-UGV1-3PPC-6387. - DOI - PubMed