“Survivor mentality”: the perceived meaning of cancer survivorship among black cancer survivors

Purpose: Explore perceptions of what it means to be a survivor and origins of these meanings among Black adults living beyond a cancer diagnosis. Methods: Secondary analysis of qualitative data from Black U.S. adult cancer survivors. Semi-structured interviews inquired meanings of cancer survivorship. Interviews were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim. Transcripts were coded via directed content analysis. Results: Participants were 19 survivors of nine different cancer types. Most were women (89.5%), 68.4% held a bachelor’s degree, and mean age was 56. Themes included (1) survivor-defined identities (e.g. survivor, warrior, thriver), (2) helping survivorship identities (i.e. how cancer-related identities influence survivors to advocate for, and support, other survivors), and (3) religiously and spiritually informed survivorship perspectives. Conclusions: Cancer-related identity origins and perceived meanings vary among Black survivors. Effective cancer care can leverage these survivor-held identities. Many Black survivors may be eager to collaborate on approaches to advance cancer prevention and control.