Abstract

The aim of the study was to understand the experiences of family caregivers of patients diagnosed with cancer. The information was collected through semi-structured interviews with topics related to experiences during the accompaniment of the family member with cancer. The results allowed the construction of five categories that integrate the experiences of family caregivers of cancer patients: emotions, communication, biographical break, care for the patient and transformation. It is concluded that the caregivers’ experiences show a variety of experiences ranging from suffering to significant learning. One of the major contributions of this study are the proposals to accompany the caregiver of cancer patients in two dimensions: the health/organizational dimension and the social family dimension.

Keywords

construction of meanings, family, cancer, caregivers, grounded theory