Heideggerian Meaning of Prostate Cancer : A hermeneutic study

Prostate Cancer is an important public issue around the world. In New Zealand alone it is the most commonly diagnosed cancer and the second highest cause of male death. This Heideggerian study aims to offer a deeper understanding of the meaning men attach to this experience and the effects of the diagnosis and treatments in a man being-in-the-world. Using a hermeneutic existential phenomenological approach to research, four themes were found: Disappointment, Being-a-man, Sense of Control, and Life-threatening Disease. The outcomes of this study suggest implications for health professionals in promoting existential care for men.