Experiences of Korean patients with Thyroid Cancer Receiving Radioactive Iodine Therapy after Total Thyroidectomy

Objective

South Korea has a high incidence of thyroid cancer. This study aimed to describe and understand the nature of the experience of Korean patients with thyroid cancer undergoing radioactive iodine treatment after total thyroidectomy through an in-depth investigation of their experience.

Methods

Individual interviews using open questions were conducted with 22 participants living in South Korea. All were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. This study used the phenomenological analysis method proposed by Colaizzi to determine the essential subjects verified according to the four reliability criteria proposed by Guba and Lincoln.

Results

Three categories, 6 theme clusters, and 13 themes emerged from the study. The three categories identified were “broken life,” “solitude in a crowd,” and “positive changes in values.” The six theme clusters were “anxiety about death,” “an imperfect being,” “feeling social isolation,” “struggling alone,” “an active attitude toward life,” and “life support.” The themes that emerged the most were related to physical and psychological difficulties. Of the 13 themes, four themes were related to family-oriented values and culture.

Conclusions

This study suggests that nursing interventions are required to reduce the physical and psychological symptoms of Korean patients with thyroid cancer. It is necessary to build a support system with the patient's family members to consider family-oriented values and culture.

Convalescent Hospital Use among Young and Older Female Cancer Survivors

This study analyzed national health data to assess convalescent hospital use among female cancer survivors according to age group. This retrospective study collected data from women recovering from breast, colon, and stomach cancer, based on health insurance claim data over 5 years (2013-2017), from the Korea Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (KHIRA). Interestingly, the number of young and older women who were treated in convalescent hospitals increased every year. In addition, total medical expenses increased in both groups. The annual rate of convalescent hospitalization was higher in older women (8.29~16.39%) than in younger women (4.01~7.46%). The total yearly medical expenses of cancer survivors in convalescent hospitals increased in both age groups and all cancer types, and the range of increase rate was from 7.7% in young breast cancer survivors to 32.2% in young colon cancer survivors. Visit days and days of medication increased noticeably in young colon cancer survivors. Taken together, these data have confirmed the importance of developing standard guidelines for inpatient management in convalescent hospitals and the health management of women cancer survivors by cancer type. This includes establishing a health management system and medical policies.