Health-related goals in female cancer survivors after treatment

Researchers often have studied cancer treatments and psychosocial aspects of dealing with cancer, but seldom have they evaluated cancer survivors at the end of their treatments or survivors' health-related goals. The purpose of the study was to identify the health-related goals of female cancer survivors at this phase of survivorship. Participants (N = 51) were women who were aged 34 to 77 years and had finished radiation and/or chemotherapy for primary breast or gynecologic cancers. Using a longitudinal design, interviews were conducted within 4 weeks and 3 to 4 months after treatment. Participants answered open-ended questions about their health-related goals. Content analyses were performed on participants' responses. Across interviews, the most common goals were improving physical activity (54-56% in first and second interviews, respectively), performing meaningful activities (26-27%), losing weight (21-22%), and eating a better diet (16-22%). Clinicians can assess for such common goals and address them, as needed, among women with breast or gynecologic cancer. Researchers could design and test the effect of interventions designed to address patients' goals on behavioral and health outcomes among similar cancer survivors.