| Actual experience with therapy |
Participant's actual experience with therapy specific for their myeloma such as reaction, side effects, response or non-response to therapy influence subsequent decisions. This definition does not include experiences with therapies not related to myeloma (included in the definition of past health-related experiences) |
“I had unfavorable reactions to the medication I was taking. I started developing neuropathy in my hands and feet. My doctor consulted a myeloma specialist and my treatment was changed.” |
16 (80) |
| Beliefs and values |
Participants' personal belief about the necessity of completing a therapy or belief in the outcomes of a specific therapy and the participants' valuation of: QOL, independence, and not being a burden to family as influences on their treatment decisions. Beliefs and values are different from the perceived benefits of treatment |
“I just think this cancer is very tricky and that we have to out-trick it. So I think novel treatments are where I see the greatest potential of a longer life for people like me. That's why I chose the clinical trial involving novel agents.” |
16 (80) |
| Opinions of family |
Participants' solicitation and consideration of the opinions of family influenced treatment decisions; a specific link between family opinions and treatment choice was identified |
“My children very much wanted me to fight this to the bitter end and regain my life back, because I think it was very hard for them to see me in an invalid kind of stage where they had to care for me at the beginning, and I'm always the one caring for them.” |
9 (45) |
| Age |
Participants who described themselves as being at a particular age category and feeling healthy or being in a particular age, regardless of health status, had influenced their treatment decision |
“Well, the option that was not seriously considered was stem cell transplantation; because of my age [80 years] that was ruled out.” |
9 (45) |
| Opinions of others |
Participant's solicitation and consideration of the opinions of non-family members influenced treatment decision; a specific link between opinions of others and treatment choice was identified |
“The thing that did influence me a lot was I talked to a gentleman during chemo that had gone through the stem cell and he was telling me how he had eight absolutely wonderful years where he traveled and he was free of cancer and he got his life back.” |
8 (40) |
| Past health-related experience |
Participant's own past health-related (e.g., overall good health, past illness experience) and therapy-related experiences (not relating to myeloma) influenced participants' treatment choice |
“I had 21 operations in my life. I've come through all that. This is just another step in my life and I'll come out the other end smiling. So that is why I decided to take the decision of having an auto stem cell transplant.” |
6 (30) |
| “What I'm like” |
Participants who identified what they were like as a person—their job, their personality--influenced treatment decisions |
“I didn't see any reason to question there was an alternative to this cutting edge treatment [auto stem cell transplant]. It seemed to me I'm a cutting edge guy so it appealed to me.” |
5 (25) |
| Faith in a Higher power |
Participants described praying to a higher power and faith in a higher power as an influence in their treatment decision |
“I prayed to God to give me the best treatment and the best doctor.” |
5 (25) |
