Cross-cultural differences in the care of patients with cancer. A review.
In order to assure optimal care of patients with chronic medical illnesses it is necessary to take into account the cultural factors that may influence health-related behaviors. By using cancer as a model, this paper discusses the major cultural issues that should be considered in order to increase cultural sensitivity in the medical setting: family function, sex roles, language, disclosure of disease-related information, pain, attitudes towards illness and health practices, immigration, region, autonomy versus dependency, and death and bereavement. Case histories illustrating the relevance of such socio-cultural factors in the cancer setting are reported.
Trill
M D
MD
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Cornell University Medical College, New York, New York.
Holland
J
J
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001293:Attitude to Death / Q000208:ethnology; D001294:Attitude to Health / Q000208:ethnology; D001601:Bereavement; D003144:Communication Barriers; D003466:Cultural Characteristics; D004641:Emigration and Immigration; D005190:Family / Q000208:ethnology; D005260:Female; D005783:Gender Identity; D015438:Health Behavior / Q000208:ethnology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000628:therapy; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D012068:Religion and Medicine; D012650:Self Disclosure