TITLE:
Experiences of Illness and Adaptation among Patients with Multiple Myeloma in Japan: A Qualitative Study
AUTHORS:
Kumiko Morita, Yukiko Oue, Yumi Tanaka
KEYWORDS:
Multiple Myeloma, Patients’ Experiences, Adaptation, Cancer Nursing, Qualitative Study
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Nursing,
Vol.15 No.10,
October
21,
2025
ABSTRACT: Purpose: Although the treatment of multiple myeloma (MM) continues to evolve rapidly with the introduction of new drugs, it is still considered an incurable disease. Given the wide variety of symptoms and the need for continuous pharmacotherapy for MM, the purpose of this study was to explore patients’ experiences with MM and their adaptation to it. Methods: This qualitative, descriptive design study included MM patients who had been treated with anticancer drugs for at least six months. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using thematic analysis. Results: The participants were 11 MM patients, five males and six females, with an average age of 69.7 years. Five themes were extracted with respect to the patient’s experience with MM and their adaptation to it: encountering an unfamiliar illness, feelings regarding having an incurable illness, recognition of the difficulties inherent to the illness, their losses and how they harmonized with them, and their search for how to live with this illness. Conclusion: Five themes were identified regarding patients’ experiences with MM and their adaptation to the illness. Outpatient nursing care related to MM patients’ adaptation to the illness requires understanding this unknown disease and its treatment, organizing one’s feelings about facing the illness, working with patients to provide strategies for coping with the limitations due to the illness, including activity limitations, and helping patients maintain a sense of normalcy and enjoyment of life.