Commensality, cancer and survival: A qualitative meta-synthesis of patients’ food experiences after cancer diagnosis

Abstract

Objective

To understand the experiences and eating practices from the diagnosis of cancer.

Method

This is a bibliographic research, of the qualitative meta-synthesis type, using the ENTREQ guideline as a protocol, with the guiding question: “What are the experiences and eating practices of individuals after being diagnosed with cancer?”. The search was carried out in the Lilacs, Pubmed, Embase and Food Science and Techonology databases based on the combination of keywords related to food and nutrition, illness from cancer and qualitative research, published between 2015 and 2020, in Portuguese, English and Spanish.

Results

414 articles were found and 396 were excluded after reading the titles and abstracts. In addition to the 18 potential articles, 5 articles from other sources were included, totaling 23. Three empirical categories were identified: disruption of the food trajectory and adaptation strategies; reconstruction of identity; and vicissitudes of commensality.

Conclusions

Losses related to food impact the existentiality of being, the expression of identity and social relationships, which can lead to the isolation and de-ritualization of food. Physical changes can lead to body image disorders and psychological distress. Due to the symptoms of nutritional impact, the family is the emotional support for the reorganization of food.

Keywords:
Feeding; Cancer; Survival; Commensality; Meta-synthesis