Online Exclusive Article

Hope in Adults With Cancer: State of the Science

Clare M. Butt

hope, literature review, summary of evidence
ONF 2011, 38(5), E341-E350. DOI: 10.1188/11.ONF.E341-E350

Purpose/Objectives: To synthesize the literature regarding research on hope in adults with cancer.

Data Sources: CINAHL Plus® and PsycINFO databases.

Data Synthesis: Sixteen articles published from 2005-2009 met the criteria for review. The literature was organized according to Oncology Nursing Society levels of evidence. Research studies on hope in adults with cancer were analyzed, critiqued, and synthesized.

Conclusions: Research evidence continues to grow regarding descriptions of hope and hope attributes in adults with cancer. Although nursing intervention programs have demonstrated positive effects on hope in adults newly diagnosed with cancer, those with a first cancer recurrence, the terminally ill, and survivors of childhood cancer, current studies are small and additional research is indicated.

Implications for Nursing: Opportunities exist to explain the dynamic process of hope, develop hope interventions that are tailored to meet the developmental needs of adults with cancer, and study existing nursing programs that support hope using larger samples in randomized, controlled trials.

Jump to a section

    References

    Blank, T. O., & Bellizzi, K. M. (2006). After prostate cancer: Predictors of well-being among long-term prostate cancer survivors. Cancer, 106, 2128-2135. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/cncr.21865
    Buckley, J., & Herth, K. (2004). Fostering hope in terminally ill patients. Nursing Standard, 19(10), 33-41.
    Cantrell, M. A., & Conte, T. (2008). Enhancing hope among early female survivors of childhood cancer via the Internet: A feasibility study. Cancer Nursing, 31, 370-379. http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/01.NCC.0000305766.42475.33
    Chi, G. C. (2007). The role of hope in patients with cancer. Oncology Nursing Forum, 34, 415-424. http://dx.doi.org/10.1188/07.ONF.415-424
    Clukey, L. (2007). "Just be there": Hospice caregivers' anticipatory mourning experience. Journal of Hospice and Palliative Nursing, 9, 150-158. http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/01.NJH.0000269992.13625.00
    Cooper, P. G. (2006). The influence of hope on the psychosocial experience. In R. M. Carroll-Johnson, L. M. Gorman, & N. J. Bush, Psychsocial nursing care: Along the cancer continuum(pp. 133-141, 2nd ed.). Pittsburgh, PA: Oncology Nursing Society.
    Craig, J. (2005). An investigation of the mediators between social support and hope in women diagnosed with breast cancer. Retrieved from http://tiny-url.org/ArQhHt
    Crothers, M. K., Tomter, H. D., & Garske, J. P. (2005). The relationships between satisfaction with social support, affect balance, and hope in cancer patients. Journal of Psychosocial Oncology, 23, 103-118. http://dx.doi.org/10.1300/J077v23n04_06
    Cutcliffe, J. R., & Herth, K. (2002). The concept of hope in nursing 1: Its origins, background and nature. British Journal of Nursing, 11, 832-840.
    Dufault, K., & Martocchio, B. C. (1985). Symposium on compassionate care and the dying experience. Hope: its spheres and dimensions. Nursing Clinics of North America, 20, 379-391.
    Duggleby, W. D., Degner, L., Williams, A., Wright, K., Cooper, D., Popkin, D., & Holtslander, L. (2007). Living with hope: Initial evaluation of a psychosocial hope intervention for older palliative home care patients. Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, 33, 247-257. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2006.09.013
    Eliott, J. A., & Olver, I. N. (2007). Hope and hoping in the talk of dying cancer patients. Social Science and Medicine, 64, 138-149. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2006.08.029
    Erikson, E. H. (1963). Childhood and society(2nd ed.). New York, NY: Norton.
    Erikson, E. H. (1997). The lifecycle completed(extended version). New York, NY: Norton.
    Ersek, M. (2005). The meaning of hope in the dying. In B. R. Ferrell & N. Coyle (Eds.), Textbook of palliative nursing(2nd ed., pp. 513-529). New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
    Esbensen, B. A., Østerlind, K., & Hallberg, I. R. (2006). Quality of life of elderly persons with cancer: A 3-month follow-up. Cancer Nursing, 29, 214-224. http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/00002820-200605000-00008
    Farran, C. J., Herth, K. A., & Popovich, J. M. (1995). Hope and hopelessness: Critical clinical constructs. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
    Fitzgerald Miller, J. (2007). Hope: A construct central to nursing. Nursing Forum, 24, 12-19. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-6198.2007.00061.x
    Herth, K. (1992). Abbreviated instrument to measure hope: Development and psychometric evaluation. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 17, 1251-1259. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2648.1992.tb01843.x
    Herth, K. (2000). Enhancing hope in people with a first recurrence of cancer. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 32, 1431-1441. http://dx.doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2648.2000.01619.x
    Hong, I. W., & Ow, R. (2007). Hope among terminally ill patients in Singapore: An exploratory study. Social Work in Health Care, 45(3), 85-106. http://dx.doi.org/10.1300/J010v45n03_05
    Lin, C. C., & Tsay, H. F. (2005). Relationships among perceived diagnostic disclosure, health locus of control, and levels of hope in Taiwanese cancer patients. Psycho-Oncology, 14, 376-385. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/pon.854
    Lindholm, L., Holmberg, M., & Makela, C. (2005). Hope and hopelessness-Nourishment for patients' vitality. International Journal for Human Caring, 9(4), 33-38.
    MacLeod, R., & Carter, H. (1999). Health professionals' perception of hope: Understanding its significance in the care of people who are dying. Mortality, 4, 309-317. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/713685980
    Mattioli, J. L., Repinski, R., & Chappy, S. L. (2008). The meaning of hope and social support in patients receiving chemotherapy. Oncology Nursing Forum, 35, 822-829. http://dx.doi.org/10.1188/08.ONF.822-829
    Oncology Nursing Society. (n.d.). Definitions. Retrieved from http://www.onsopcontent.ons.org/toolkits/evidence/definitions.shtml
    Oncology Nursing Society. (2009). ONS research agenda 2009-2013. Retrieved from http://www.ons.org/media/ons/docs/research/research-agenda-2009-2013.pdf
    Oncology Nursing Society. (2010). Designing and creating a journal club for oncology nurses. Retrieved from http://www.ons.org/publications/media/ons/docs/publications/journalclubtoolkit.pdf
    Reb, A. M. (2007). Transforming the death sentence: Elements of hope in women with advanced ovarian cancer [Online exclusive]. Oncology Nursing Forum, 34, E70-E81. http://dx.doi.org/10.1188/07.ONF.E70-E81
    Ropka, M. E., & Spencer-Cisek, P. (2001). PRISM: Priority Symptom Management Project phase I: Assessment. Oncology Nursing Forum, 28, 1585-1594.
    Rustøen, T., Wiklund, I., Hanestad, B. R., & Moum, T. (1998). Nursing intervention to increase hope and quality of life in newly diagnosed cancer patients. Cancer Nursing, 21, 235-245. http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/00002820-199808000-00003
    Saleh, U. S., & Brockopp, D. Y. (2001). Hope among patients with cancer hospitalized for bone marrow transplantation: A phenomenologic study. Cancer Nursing, 24, 308-314. http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/00002820-200108000-00012
    Thorne, S., Hislop, T. G., Kuo, M., & Armstrong, E. A. (2006). Hope and probability: Patient perspectives of the meaning of numerical information in cancer communication. Qualitative Health Research, 16, 318-336. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1049732305285341
    Vellone, E., Rega, M. L., Galletti, C., & Cohen, M. Z. (2006). Hope and related variables in Italian cancer patients. Cancer Nursing, 29, 356-366. http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/00002820-200609000-00002
    Weis Farone, D., Fitzpatrick, T. R., & Bushfield, S. Y. (2008). Hope, locus of control, and quality of health among elder Latina cancer survivors. Social Work in Health Care, 46(2), 51-70. http://dx.doi.org/10.1300/J010v46n02_04