[SUMMARY] The aim of this study was to clarify nursing care focusing on self-recovery in individuals undergoing cancer treatment during the downward phase of the illness trajectory. The study population comprised five patients with an average age of 69.2 years undergoing treatment for stage III or IV digestive tract cancer. Data were collected from the patients’ nursing care records documented by the researcher who was also the primary nurse between 14 and 38 days. The qualitative synthesis method (KJ method) was used for analyzing the components of nursing care focusing on self-recovery within and across cases. These components comprise six characteristics : inferring one’s distress that one is struggling with the surrounding environment, promoting self-care to alleviate distress, affectionately watching over, finding true meaning of life, drawing out one’s power to heal oneself through comfort according to the pattern, and finding out possibility in one’s every day. Nursing care focusing on self-recovery in individuals undergoing cancer treatment during the downward phase of the illness trajectory was directed at promoting self-care, based on the fact that nurses identify patients’ difficulties. Furthermore, it was directed at finding the possibility of how to want to be as individuals that was related to meaningful experience and social roles by establishing a comfortable relationship with individuals.