Paving the Way: A Grounded Theory of Discovery and Decision Making for Individuals With the CDH1 Marker

Abstract

PURPOSE: To understand the process of discovery and decision making for adults with the CDH1 marker for hereditary diffuse gastric cancer and inherited breast cancer. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: Purposeful sampling included 20 participants. METHODOLOGIC APPROACH: Grounded theory with constant comparison was used. FINDINGS: The decision-making process of Paving the Way addresses the challenges for individuals diagnosed with the CDH1 marker. The theory explains the process of learning the risk, discerning testing, choosing iterative individual interventions, and adjusting postoperatively while normalizing to live longer. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING: The process explains and describes the nine factors for decision making and predicts the timing for nursing interventions for genetic testing and pre- and postoperative assessment and planning.