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“Let Go, Let God”: A Qualitative Study Exploring Cancer Patients’ Spirituality and Its Place in the Medical Setting

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Abstract

This study explored the role of God and spirituality in cancer patients to gain deeper insight into how patients use their spirituality to cope during illness, including how they see the medical team meeting their spiritual needs. From our work, some naturally emerging themes included Finding God in Cancer and Healing, Spiritual Support Desired from Medical Community, Doctor as “Gift from God”?, and Communication and the Power of Talk. Cancer patients not only acknowledged a spiritual need, but a desire for it to be addressed by their medical team as part of their treatment.

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Funding

This study was supported by Grant # 36441 from the John F. Templeton Foundation (BNP, TCS, FJH, GF).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA

    Toni Marie Cipriano-Steffens, Fay Hlubocky, Michael Quinn & Blase Polite

  2. Purdue University Northwest, Calumet, IN, USA

    Theresa Carilli

  3. Department of Religion, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA

    George Fitchett

  4. Section of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, The University of Chicago Medical Center, 5841 S. Maryland Avenue, MC 2115, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA

    Toni Marie Cipriano-Steffens, Fay Hlubocky & Blase Polite

Authors
  1. Toni Marie Cipriano-Steffens
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  2. Theresa Carilli
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  3. Fay Hlubocky
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  4. Michael Quinn
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  5. George Fitchett
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  6. Blase Polite
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Toni Marie Cipriano-Steffens.

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The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

Informed Consent

Informed consent was obtained from all participants involved in the study.

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Appendices

Appendix: Patient Interview

Spirituality’s Role in Coping with Cancer

Demographics Section

To start off with, I would like to ask you a few questions about yourself.

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Cognitive Interview: Includes Two Questions and Scripted/Spontaneous Probes

Thank you for agreeing to participate in this research study. Please answer the questions as carefully as possible as we are interested in the ways you arrive at your answers. If you have difficulty answering any of the questions, please state so, even if the reasons might seem unimportant to you. Thank you.

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Cipriano-Steffens, T.M., Carilli, T., Hlubocky, F. et al. “Let Go, Let God”: A Qualitative Study Exploring Cancer Patients’ Spirituality and Its Place in the Medical Setting. J Relig Health 59, 2341–2363 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-019-00942-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-019-00942-3

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