Suffering
is a common phenomenon experienced by patients with cancer, particularly
advanced cancer. This qualitative study aims to describe the experiences of patients
with terminal advanced cancer. Series interviews and participant observation
were conducted on 15 patients with terminal advanced cancer. Thematic analysis was applied. The findings
reveal that living with suffering was the dominant theme. The causes of
suffering include physical symptom distress, feeling of alienation, sense of
worthlessness, sense of burden to others and desire for hastened death. The
study also highlights the importance of psycho-spiritual interventions to
alleviate suffering among the dying patients with advanced cancer.