Beyond diagnosis: subjective theories of illness in adult patients with acute myeloid leukemia.

Every acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patient asks: why me? But from the patients' perspective, there are no objective medical causes and no clear picture of AML. However, based on these missing medical answers, patients develop their own ideas about illness and treatment. These subjective theories of illness (STOI) are defined as the cognitive constructions ill people make regarding: (1) the nature of their disease; (2) its source; and (3) its treatment.