Experiences of people with haematological cancer and impaired integrity of the skin and perianal mucosa: A qualitative study

BACKGROUND: Impaired integrity of the skin and perianal mucosa may be a side effect of treatment for haematological cancer (HC), particularly chemotherapy and monoclonal antibodies. It can have physical and psychological consequences, interrupt or delay treatment and, in more serious situations, become life-threatening. PURPOSE: The aim was to describe the experience of people with HC and impaired integrity of the skin and perianal mucosa after chemotherapy and monoclonal antibody treatments. METHODS: A descriptive study of an interpretative nature, with nine semi-structured interviews carried out between November 2024 and March 2025. The reflective thematic analysis method was used to identify, analyse and interpret patterns of meaning present in the data. RESULTS: The analysis of the interviews revealed two main themes and seven sub-themes describing the experiences of people with haemato-oncological disease and impaired integrity of the skin and perianal mucosa: 1) implications (physical, on activities of daily living, socio-family, emotional and on the development of the disease) and 2) strategies (adaptive and management). CONCLUSIONS: This research contributed to a little-explored area, aiming to better tailor responses to the needs of people with haemato-oncological disease and impaired integrity of the skin and perianal mucosa.