Into the Light of Mortality: Exploring Cancer Survivors’ Perception of Life and Death Positivity

Abstract

This study explores the lived experiences of cancer survivors in Cebu, Philippines, focusing on how their perceptions of life across different phases of survivorship influence the development of death positivity. Specifically, it examines survivors’ reflections prior to diagnosis, during active treatment, and in the post-treatment phase, highlighting physical, social, and psychological transformations. Anchored in Post-Traumatic Growth Theory by Tedeschi and Calhoun, and supported by Terror Management Theory (Greenberg, Solomon, & Pyszczynski) and the Meaning-Making Model (Park & Folkman), the study seeks to understand how confronting a life-threatening illness reshapes survivors’ worldviews and attitudes toward mortality. This research utilized a qualitative narrative inquiry design, as conceptualized by Connelly and Clandinin (1990), which emphasizes understanding lived experiences through personal storytelling and chronological reconstruction of life events. Eight cancer survivors from Cebu, Philippines aged 20–45 who had been in remission for 5–8 years participated in semi-structured, in-depth interviews. Data were analyzed using Braun and Clarke’s six-phase thematic analysis framework. Findings revealed that prior to diagnosis, participants perceived life as stable and routine, often taking health for granted. The active treatment phase disrupted this normalcy, marked by physical limitations, emotional distress, shifting identities, and heightened mortality awareness. In contrast, the post-treatment phase emerged as transformative, characterized by renewed purpose, strengthened relationships, lifestyle changes, and deeper gratitude for everyday experiences. Survivors developed greater acceptance of death, reframing mortality as a natural and meaningful aspect of life rather than solely a source of fear. The study concludes that the confrontation with cancer can catalyze existential growth, fostering resilience, meaning making, and death positivity. These insights informed the development of Project BIDLISIW, a community-based psychosocial intervention aimed at sustaining survivors’ positive life perspectives and promoting open conversations about mortality in the Philippine context.