O discurso de resistência do paciente oncológico ao tratamento cirúrgico

Cancer is a set of diseases resulting from disordered cells growth, influenced by external and internal factors. The disease has a stigma commonly associated with vulnerability, pain and death. Among existing treatments, surgery is the oldest cancer treatment and continues to show effectiveness. With medical advances, surgery has become less invasive, debilitating and mutilating. Nevertheless, the fear of procedures that affect body image or disrupt the routine are still prevalent, causing, in some cases, the refusal of surgical treatment. The research aimed to analyze the reasons that cause cancer surgery refusal by cancer pacients. This is a study with a qualitative approach, conducted through semi-structured interviews with cancer patients of the Mossoroense League for Studies and Fighting Cancer (LMECC), in Mossoró/RN, who had surgical indication but refused to do it. Sample delimitation was performed using the sampling saturation tool and data analysis followed the Bardin Content Analysis technique. From the collected data it is possible to realize that the perception of the disease, the opinion of the family members, body changes and religious support are determining factors in the process of choosing and adhering to surgical treatment.