The power of words: evaluating the role of qualitative methods in cancer research

Authors

• Dylan E. Graetz, Department of Global Pediatric Medicine, St Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA; Department of Oncology, St Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA. Electronic address: dylan.graetz@stjude.org.
• Bryan A. Sisk, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA.
• Marta Salek, Department of Global Pediatric Medicine, St Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA; Department of Oncology, St Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA.
• Lindsay J. Blazin, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Hematology, Oncology, and Stem Cell Transplant, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA.
• Claire E. Wakefield, Division of Quality of Life and Pediatric Palliative Care, Department of Pediatrics, Stanford Medicine Children's Health, Palo Alto, CA, USA; School of Clinical Medicine, UNSW Medicine & Health, Randwick Clinical Campus, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
• Elise C. Tarbi, Department of Nursing, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, USA.
• Sally Thorne, School of Nursing, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
• Thomas W. LeBlanc, Duke Cancer Institute, Durham, NC, USA; Division of Hematologic Malignancies and Cellular Therapy, Department of Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA.
• Pamela S. Hinds, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, The George Washington University, Children's National Hospital, Washington, DC, USA.
• Lara Traeger, Department of Psychology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, USA.
• Erica C. Kaye, Department of Oncology, St Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA.

Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Date

2-1-2026

Journal

The Lancet. Oncology

Volume

27

Issue

2

DOI

10.1016/S1470-2045(25)00669-2

Abstract

This Review underscores qualitative research as an indispensable facet of scientific inquiry to improve provision of safe, effective, and affordable care for patients with cancer worldwide. Representing a global working group of applied qualitative researchers, our multidisciplinary authorship team defines qualitative research, characterises its purpose and value, and describes specific ways in which qualitative inquiry is central to advancing cures, treatment, and quality of life in oncology. In this Review, we put forward an imperative for the use of qualitative methods to assess context, understand population needs, design interventions, optimise implementation, and investigate mechanisms of action underpinning changes in health outcomes. We highlight the ways in which qualitative methods capture cultural context, making them crucial for scientific inquiry, and discuss the importance of using qualitative research to define research priorities, uncover and address understudied topics, and elevate marginalised voices globally. Ultimately, this Review serves as a call to action for improved integration of qualitative scholarship across each stage of cancer research and establishes a roadmap for collaboration among clinicians, scientists, publishers, and funders to recognise qualitative research as essential for scientific advancement in the field of oncology.

APA Citation

Graetz, Dylan E.; Sisk, Bryan A.; Salek, Marta; Blazin, Lindsay J.; Wakefield, Claire E.; Tarbi, Elise C.; Thorne, Sally; LeBlanc, Thomas W.; Hinds, Pamela S.; Traeger, Lara; and Kaye, Erica C., "The power of words: evaluating the role of qualitative methods in cancer research" (2026). GW Authored Works. Paper 8769.
https://hsrc.himmelfarb.gwu.edu/gwhpubs/8769

Department

Pediatrics