Navigating the adolescent cancer journey

^{Nadeen Alshakhshir}

For an adolescent, a cancer diagnosis is not merely a medical event. It is a profound challenge to normal social-emotional development. While clinical advancements have bolstered survivorship, the increasing intensity of modern treatments has deepened the physical and psychosocial toll on young patients.

A new study led by Nadeen Alshakhshir, PhD, RN, a Presidential Postdoctoral Fellow with the School of Nursing, illuminates how these patients process their experiences. Using a descriptive phenomenology approach to analyze the accounts of 10 adolescents aged 13–19, the research reveals that memories of diagnosis remain remarkably vivid. These young people do not just remember an illness. They recall a detailed tapestry of severe physical pain, mental suffering, and the precise medical procedures that led to their diagnosis.

The findings, which Alshakhshir presented at the 2025 Association of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Nurses (APHON) conference, highlight critical factors influencing long-term mental health. Adolescents frequently grapple with self-blame, a profound sense of uncertainty and a persistent need for more transparent information regarding their treatment plans.

“Our findings underscore that we must look beyond the physical protocols,” says Alshakhshir. “By identifying and targeting specific distress factors early in the journey — such as the heavy burden of guilt or the fear of the unknown — nurses can fundamentally reshape a traumatic experience into one where the adolescent feels supported and understood.”

For nurses across practice and policy levels, this research — made possible by the Joanna Simer Fellowship — serves as a call to action. It emphasizes the need for targeted, early-stage psychosocial interventions to promote long-term wellbeing and ensure that the memory of a cancer journey is defined by resilience rather than trauma.