Perceptions of cancer survivors and healthcare professionals on adequate supportive care after treatment of cancer: An in-depth qualitative study
Doris van der Smissen, Marjolein Lugtenberg, Yosra Abdeselam Rocdi, Laurens V. Beerepoot, Floortje Mols, Evelien P. M. Brouwers, Dareczka K. Wasowicz, Margot C. W. Joosen
Abstract
Following treatment, cancer survivors often struggle to resume their life in several life domains. Although supportive care is increasingly available and can assist survivors in improving their quality of life, it often falls short in meeting the needs of the diverse and growing group of cancer survivors.
Introduction
Advancements in cancer treatment and cancer screening have significantly increased the number of cancer survivors over recent decades [1,2]. Studies underscore that survivors of various types of cancer may experience several long-term effects of disease and treatment, including physical complaints, anxiety, fatigue and reduced quality of life [2–8].
Materials and methods
A qualitative study was conducted to gain an in-depth understanding of perceptions on adequate supportive cancer care [32]. We conducted individual interviews with cancer survivors and focus groups with oncological HCPs from different disciplines. This study is part of a larger project on resuming life after cancer [14].
Results
Of the 22 participants, 16 were female, and the mean age was 52.7 years (range 23–77 years) (see Table 1). Most participants (n = 13) were currently working, and others were partly on sick leave (n = 3), fully on sick leave (n = 3), unemployed (n = 2) or retired (n = 1). Participants were diagnosed with various cancer types and were treated with various treatments.
Discussion
In this study we explored the perceptions of cancer survivors and oncological HCPs regarding adequate supportive cancer care after treatment.
Both groups shared the view that supportive care should be person-centered, tailored to individual values and needs, with an expansion of psychosocial care options, and particular attention to work-related issues.
Conclusion
While both cancer survivors and HCPs emphasized the importance of comprehensive, person-centered supportive care for cancer survivors, its implementation in clinical practice remains challenging. Key requirements, such as greater awareness of the importance of supportive care among HCPs, knowledge of reliable referral options and interdisciplinary collaboration, are often unmet.
Citation: van der Smissen D, Lugtenberg M, Abdeselam Rocdi Y, Beerepoot LV, Mols F, Brouwers EPM, et al. (2026) Perceptions of cancer survivors and healthcare professionals on adequate supportive care after treatment of cancer: An in-depth qualitative study. PLoS One 21(8): e0355113. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0355113
Editor: Mohd Ismail Ibrahim, Universiti Sains Malaysia - Kampus Kesihatan, MALAYSIA
Received: June 28, 2025; Accepted: July 15, 2026; Published: August 25, 2026
Copyright: © 2026 van der Smissen et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Data Availability: All pseudonymized research data will be retained and stored in a secured study database at the central network server of Tilburg University for 15 years. The datasets analysed during the current study are not publicly available due to the integrity of the interviewees but are available from the corresponding author or the Ethics Review Board of the Tilburg School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Tilburg University (erb@tilburguniversity.edu) upon reasonable request.
Funding: The authors received funding to conduct this study. MCWJ and DKW were the project leaders. This study was supported by WeCare (2020_18) (https://www.etz.nl/we-care/) and Verbeeten Challenge (https://www.verbeetenchallenge.nl/). The funding source had no involvement in the study design, collection, analysis, and interpretation of data, in the writing of the report and in the decision to submit the paper for publication.
Competing interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.
