The Good Day Project

Project timeline: 

March 3, 2025 – March 2, 2026 

Study status: 

Active. Recruitment for interviews is closed from 28 November onwards.

Background: 

Cancers of the lung, liver, brain, oesophagus, pancreas and stomach have been called ‘less survivable’. Despite accounting for 22% of all new cases and 40% of all cancer deaths in Europe, these six cancers still suffer from low awareness amongst the public and health providers. Best supportive care is dependent on understanding how patients with these cancers cope with the challenges placed by cancer and how they maintain a good quality of life.  

Aim and Objectives: 

This study aims to understand what ‘a good day’ is in the life of a patient surviving one of the less survivable cancers. 

We want to better understand: 

• What day-to-day activities, experiences and actions contribute to ‘a good day’. 

• Prerequisites and priorities for ‘a good day’. 

• What challenges and experiences might turn a good day into ‘a bad day’. 

• Changes in meaning attributed to a good/bad day from diagnosis to study participation. 

Impact: 

We will use results from this project to educate health professionals and advocate about how best supportive care should look like for this population. We will discuss ways to refocus care to target and support positive life experiences that can improve the wellbeing of people affected by cancer. We will work closely with patient organisations in Europe to maximise the impact of this work. 

How was the study done? 

One interview in the form of a conversation with the researcher. The interview may last 45-60 minutes and can be done either online or over the phone. The interviews were conducted in English, Dutch, Greek, Portuguese or Spanish.

Who was eligible to take part: 

People took part in this study if they were older than 18 and had been diagnosed with one of these cancers: lung, liver, brain, oesophageal, pancreatic or stomach cancer. They might have lived anywhere in Europe. They didn't have to speak English to take part in the interview. 

Project team: