THE CREATION OF PROTECTION AND HOPE IN PATIENTS WITH MALIGNANT BRAIN-TUMORS

The malignant brain tumour disease condenses much of the anguish of ca ncer diseases. The brain is a vital and delicate organ, and the progno sis is generally unfavourable. The patient is exposed and has to rely on cognitive manoeuvres to manage the mental stress. The purpose of th is study was to generate new insights into how the patient constructs a new sense of reality when confronted with the malignant brain tumour diagnosis. Within grounded theory methodology, 30 patients with malig nant gliomas were interviewed twice, in direct connection with diagnos is, surgery and radiotherapy. In addition, their partners were intervi ewed, and quantitative instruments (SMMSE, RDCQ) were used as addition al references for assessing the patients cognitively and emotionally. Eleven patients were excluded from the final analysis because of cogni tive impairment or personality change. Most of the patients were aware of the fact that the brain tumour exposed them to grave danger, but t hey were also able to use various cognitive manoeuvres to create prote ction and hope. This process originated from different sources: the bo dy; helpful relations; cognitive schemata; and the handling of informa tion. The importance of the body to raise hope is emphasized. In the d iscussion we consider this process as an expression of how the patient brings together reality and hope, thus creating her/his own illusion. These findings are also related to adjacent psychoanalytic theory, pr oposing a theoretical reference with clinical implications when discus sing 'What to tell cancer patients'.