Expériences d’apprentissage de jeunes adultes ayant reçu une greffe de cellules souches dans la gestion de leurs symptômes
Hematological diseases, such as leukemia and lymphoma, are among the most common forms of cancers that can affect young adults. Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is a common intervention to treat blood-related cancers such as leukemia and lymphoma. However, an allogeneic stem cell transplant (ASCT) can provoke many acute and chronic symptoms. Young adult cancer survivors are expected to develop expertise to self-manage these symptoms. Yet little is known about their self-management experiences.  The purpose of this study was to describe self-management learning experiences of young adults (18-39 years old) following ASCT. An interpretive qualitative descriptive design (Thorne, 2016) was conducted with seven young adults who had undergone an ASCT (n=7, mean 26 years old, mean 14,71 months post-ASCT).  The results suggest that learning self-management expertise following ASCT is progressive and was described into a five-level process with distinct characteristics. Certain factors could positively or negatively affect the learning process and hence the development of this self-management expertise. In addition, our results indicate that young adults developed body awareness (interoceptive ability) related to their symptoms. This ability allows young adults to adapt their self-management strategies and promote better control of their symptoms.  Finally, various recommendations were made to promote self-management in young adults who have undergone an ASCT, including educational interventions
cancer Self-management autonomy young adults leukemia stem cell transplant interoceptive ability