Steps

Performance

Result

Total impression

All authors read the material to obtain an overall impression, and to identify preliminary themes.

“Late effects” and “Everyday life” were identified.

Identifying and sorting meaning units

We developed code groups from the preliminary themes. The first author identified and coded meaning units reflecting the different aspects of the participants’ experiences. After discussion with the researcher group, some themes were redefined and reorganized.

1) Experienced late effects 6 - 8 years post treatment and 2) Experience of everyday life 6 - 8 years post treatment.

Condensation

Subgroups that exemplify the vital aspects of each code group were defined, condensing the contents of each of these and identified illustrative quotations for each subgroup. The codes and subcategories was continually discussed within the researcher group. This was a dynamic process, where codes and subcategories were redefined and renamed as new understanding emerged.

Code groups; 1a) Physical late effects affecting HRQOL, 1b) Cognitive late effects affecting HRQOL, 2a) Consequences affecting social life, 2b) Consequences affecting work life.

Synthesizing

To create a picture of the long-term cancer survivors’ experience of HRQOL the analytical text was synthesized and reconceptualized to illustrate the content of the subcategories.