The purpose is to describe, interpret and provide a detailed understanding of what it means to be elderly people with cancer who receive treatment in specialized health care. Focus is especially put on the content and expression of existential issues and the importance of spirituality for the patient´s life story and medical story.

Existential and spiritual issues in elderly people with cancer are scarcely investigated with respect to the content and importance of these aspects to this patient group in terms of living with their disease and benefit from specialist health treatment and care. The present study is an independent doctoral study that also has an initial function for an intended multidisciplinary research project with the working title "Aged people with cancer".

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patients with cancer from the age 70 and older receiving palliative treatment in specialized health care

Exclusion Criteria:

• Terminal patients
• Patients considered as too sick for the interview session
• Patients with lack of consent

Cancer patients from 70 years and older, receiving palliative treatment and care in Innlandet Hospital Trust