Social support across the cancer care continuum in Malawi: Narratives from cancer survivors

Informational, emotional, and instrumental social support can help individuals cope with life stressors like a cancer diagnosis. As the cancer burden in lower-and middle-income countries continues to increase, patients with cancer face challenges that may be alleviated in part through the provision of social support. To understand the role of social support in the cancer journey, we conducted individual in-depth interviews with 29 breast cancer and lymphoma survivors at Kamuzu Central Hospital in Lilongwe, Malawi. Interviews examined the lived experiences of survivors along the cancer care continuum (diagnosis, initiation of treatment, retention, and completion of treatment). Social support was evident at all stages of the cancer care continuum. At the diagnosis stage, informational support helped individuals recognize symptoms and identify appropriate healthcare facilities. At the initiation of the treatment stage, emotional and informational support provided patients with encouragement and advice to begin medical treatment. At the retention and completion stage, instrumental support helped patients manage medications and appointments, deal with side effects, and support activities of daily living. Emotional support provided reassurance and motivation to continue care. Our findings show participants experienced informational, emotional, and instrumental support, which varied in prominence at different stages of the cancer care continuum. The results suggest that social support can facilitate engagement in cancer care and improve patients' quality of life, suggesting the potential benefit of integrating social support interventions into cancer care delivery.