title: The experiences of Filipino American patients with cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the experience of Filipino patients with cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  Hermeneutic phenomenologic inquiry using focus groups.
  
  
  METHODS
  A comprehensive cancer center in the southeastern United States.
  
  
  METHODS
  18 female and 5 male Filipino patients aged 34-78 years who had received cancer treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seven focus groups, each lasting two hours, were conducted; each participant attended one focus group. Discussions were audiotaped, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using phenomenologic analysis techniques.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Three main themes emerged: support of the family, perception of symptoms, and communication preferences.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Important cultural needs of Filipino patients with cancer as well as strategies to provide more culturally competent care were identified.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Nursing strategies important to the Filipino patients with cancer were including family when planning and delivering care, assessing symptoms with open-ended questions, frequently asking patients how they are doing, using gentle nondirect communication, and smiling. Culturally specific information should be included in nursing education. More research needs to be done with Filipino patients with cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Symptom Research, The University of Texas (UT) M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, USA. margaretharle@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Margaret T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Harle
authors.forename: Rebecca F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Dela
authors.forename: Guadalupe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Veloso
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rock
authors.forename: Jay
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Faulkner
authors.forename: Marlene Z
authors.initials: MZ
authors.lastname: Cohen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001213:Asian; D003466:Cultural Characteristics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology*; D010679:Philippines / Q000208:ethnology; D014481:United States