Different Views on Cancer Based on Religion, Culture, Race, Class and Gender

Cancer is the second leading cause of death worldwide and accounted for over nine million deaths in 2018. This means around one in every six deaths is caused by cancer. This disease not only affects those that are afflicted with the disease but can also have major impacts on the family and friends of those with cancer. Cancer being such a prevalent disease currently has become a large focus of many people which has led to many charitable foundations and increased awareness campaigns in the media. Even with increased awareness there is still much work to be done to educate people on the disease as there are still many segments of the population that still have major misconceptions and fears of cancer. Over the year’s cancer has been something that makes people very uncomfortable and afraid. Cancer used to be viewed as a hopeless disease with not much expectation of surviving. Now cancer more and more is being seen as a treatable and manageable disease and has lost some of the negative stigma associated with the disease. Cancer can still be viewed very differently though by each person that has the disease or is aware or the risks of the disease for several reasons. This writing will discuss some of these different viewpoints on cancer based on religious and cultural beliefs, race, class and gender.

Race

There are many differences in how cancer is perceived among different races of people. These different perceptions can affect how these people generally feel about the disease as well as how they will screen for cancer and seek treatments for cancer. One of the largest differences in perception by different races seems to be the risk factor of getting cancer. This issue seems to have arisen because of how cancer is dealt with in media and represented differently to each race.

In surveys done to measure the perceived risk of getting cancer non whites answered that they are less concerned about getting cancer than whites. There are many reasons that can fuel these misconceptions in the media and these differences in perception have huge impacts on mortality rates. Lack of information on the disease such as risk factors, and family history of the disease could be reasons that are creating this disparity (Singh & Jemal, 2017). In the past there have not been many representations of cancer in the media that are geared to non-whites. In magazines such as Ebony a magazine geared toward African American women included only 84 articles on cancer over a span from 1987 to 1994. In those same years there were almost 1500 advertisements for tobacco products. In contrast there are many more representations of cancer in the media geared toward whites including print publications and television programming.

The differences in education and awareness about the disease have made cancer of less concern to non-whites than it is to whites. The white population is much more concerned about cancer and is more diligent with getting screened for cancer and being ready to face cancer head on. This outlook by the white population is in part because many look at cancer as not only a battle, but a battle that can be won. For those who do survive the disease they are often referred to as beating cancer and to survive the disease is a badge of honor. These ideas about the disease are based on more targeted media on cancer information geared toward this demographic. From television to print media that is targeted toward the white market includes much more informational and statistical data on cancer screenings, treatments and preventative measures.

Gender

The culture of cancer with respect to gender also contains many differences in how it is presented to and perceived by those of different genders. These differences in how the disease is presented are mainly due to the fact that the disease can affect the body in so many different ways that there are many classifications of cancer. Different types of cancers get different levels of awareness depending on how much outreach is done by foundations that represent each type of cancer. Currently one of the most prominent forms of cancer awareness is breast cancer. Breast cancer mainly affects women but can also affect men and is given much media attention and has an entire month devoted as breast cancer awareness month. These women with breast cancer are seen as survivors and people rally around them. It has become such a supported awareness campaign that everyone from television hosts to professional athletes were pink the entire month and speak about their own stories and support for those affected by breast cancer.

One of the differences in how men and women deal with cancer is the perception of the disease and their gender roles. Many men are less willing to go out and seek help and information on cancers from others because of their strong feelings of needing to be independent or feeling that they need to provide. There are also fears about how the cancer will affect them such as hair loss or being weakened physically that could make them feel less masculine. There is also the feeling of need to provide for their family even through injuries and a fear with cancer is that they would not be able to provide for a long period of time. These feelings may lead many men to either ignore symptoms or put off screenings for fear of finding out they have the disease. In contrast, with women cancer is still a disease that strikes fear, but women are much more likely to get regular screenings and be more proactive on habits that decrease the chances of getting cancer. Most representation of cancer in media when dealing with women is geared toward showing how brave women are that face cancer. Also, with gender roles women have been seen as being more willing to ask for information on the disease and be more willing to ask for the support of their family when dealing with cancer. Recently the American Cancer Society has launched an advertising campaign that is using more males and talking about how they received support in their battles with cancer. Advertisements like this may help to change some of the perceptions that men currently have about cancer and treatment of the disease.

Class

The socioeconomic standings have much to do with how people view cancer and how they pursue treatment. Socioeconomic standing creates one of the largest gaps in how patients view cancer and the survival rates of those with cancer. This can be attributed to poor lifestyle habits as well as lack of healthcare and awareness of the disease in poorer communities. These lifestyle choices and lack of resources can not only put those of lower socioeconomic standing at higher risk to have cancer but can also lead to a much more difficult road to recover from the disease.

In areas with populations of low socioeconomic standing there can be many misconceptions and falsehoods related to cancer. A large disparity in the lower socioeconomic class is the general awareness of cancer. There are misconceptions in lower class communities such as cancer is thought to be a death sentence, to not knowing general symptoms of cancer that can lead to these people either being fearful of screening for cancer or simply not considering going to the doctor when symptoms occur. In these poorer communities there seems to be a general lack of overall awareness about cancer which can be attributed to why there is such a higher mortality rate than those with higher socioeconomic standing (Health Disparities in Cancer, 2018). The lack of general knowledge of the disease and the lack of resources to prevent and treat the disease make cancer that much more of a frightening disease for those in lower income areas.

Another major problem in these lower socioeconomic areas that lead to lower awareness and higher mortality rates is lack of resources. Many of these people in lower class areas have a much lower level of education and live below the poverty level. People with lower class standing do not seek treatment early or may not seek treatment at all because they can not afford to take time off work or may not have any health care available to them. The lack of information about cancer can also give perspective to some of the poor lifestyle choices made in these communities (Singh & Jemal, 2017). This has led to these areas having a more negative view of cancer and a feeling of being helpless against the disease. Unfortunately, not much is being done to spread more awareness and improve health care availability in these areas to change these people’s perceptions and help these communities become healthier.

Religion

Religion can play a large role in how people and their families deal with cancer. It can impact how the disease is diagnosed and treated as well as possible links to the recovery of patients with cancer. Once someone is diagnosed with cancer there are many life altering decisions that need to be made and some people make these decisions heavily based on faith. Religion can have a positive or negative impact on the treatment of the cancer as well as the patient’s quality of life.

It seems that for the most part many religions believe that God is responsible for health, disease and healing. Many of these people especially in the Catholic religion believe that God is also the main source for comfort and hope during the process of illness (Jennifer D. Allen, et al., 2014). Many of the religions also have belief that medical technology and treatment are a gift from God and are sources available for them to use in their battle with cancer. This does not mean that they fully trust the medical providers that they use and need to know that the providers do respect their religious beliefs.

It is highly important that when someone is being treated for cancer that the doctors understand and work with the patients depending on their religious beliefs. If the patients do not have a trust with the physician treating them, it can make the treatment that much harder and can be more stressful on the patient. There are issues that may not seem that important to the hospital that could be as simple as providing food options for those who need kosher or halal meals for example that can go a long way with making the patient feel more comfortable and upfront with the physicians treating them. In some religions the patient may feel the need to observe fasting or other rituals that may not meet all of the physicians recommended regimen (Nelson, 2017). In these cases, if the physician does not respect the religious beliefs of the patient the patient may begin to start hiding behaviors or become uncooperative with the physician altogether.

Jehovah's Witnesses for example have religious beliefs that prevent them from having any form of treatment that would include blood transfusions. This could potentially impede them from having some chemotherapies that are to intense on the body without the component of a transfusion, but very necessary for the treatment of the disease. This has led to the church developing relationships with the hospitals and communicating what the wishes of patients will be as far as treatment is concerned. The hospitals have responded by modifying certain treatments so they can be administered to Jehovah's Witnesses. Even if the modified treatments are not as effective, they are still better than the previous treatments or lack of treatment in leu of treatments needed that included blood transfusions (Nelson, 2017). They are not the only religion that is trying to more of a relationship with the healthcare providers to help accommodate the needs of those of their religious denomination.

There are also issues in the Orthodox Jewish communities that can complicate a patient’s treatment of cancer after diagnosis. In some cases, Orthodox Jewish followers will bring in their rabbi to help consult with the doctors to decide on treatments. This stems from negative stigmas associated with cancer in the community. A diagnosis of cancer could make someone a less desirable marriage prospect within the community. Even if someone in the family has been diagnosed with cancer it could affect the other members of the family as far as standings in the community.

Religion can also have positive affects on how patients deal with the disease and their treatment. When patients are diagnosed with cancer religious belief can play a huge role in how they cope with the reality of being afflicted with the disease. These beliefs can influence the reaction to a diagnosis in helping them find a center and be more at peace with themselves (Simon, 2015). Religion can also have a positive affect on the how the patients physically feel during cancer treatment. It has been reported that many people that have strong spiritual beliefs report better physical feelings during treatments of cancer.

Culture

In some cultures, cancer brings on myths and certain stigmas that can prevent people from getting proper treatments. These myths and stigmas about cancer are brought upon mainly due to the fact that some cultures still lack a general awareness and knowledge about cancer and the treatments of the disease. This makes it especially difficult for health care providers to care for these patients when they have such negative ideas about cancer treatments. Some of these negative stigmas can range from people thinking that if they cut into the cancer it will spread throughout the body or that having cancer treatments will leave them as a less valued person in their communities.

In some Middle Eastern countries certain cancer can be more difficult to treat because of cultural attitudes that hinder the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. Some cancers such as cervical or breast cancer may be harder to find and diagnose because these are parts of the body that people in these cultures are not comfortable with speaking about. In some instances, the people that have cancer in these regions feel isolated by their families and do not feel like they have any support structure when dealing with treatments (Daher, 2012). In Chinese culture there is such a shameful stigma associated with cancer that most people will not even say the word cancer. If they are diagnosed, they tend to hide this from family and friends. In some American hospitals that treat Chinese immigrants they try and refrain from using words like cancer and chemotherapy and replace them with words such as treatment and mass so that the patients feel more comfortable with dealing with the disease.

To work to change perception and rid people of these stigmas hospitals are trying to become more sensitive to different cultures and gain more understanding of the cultural differences. Steps like these are hoped to lead to better relationships with the doctors and patients and try to change some of the negative stigmas that are attached to cancer and cancer treatments. Many doctors are now trying to make sure that they are not trying to impose their own cultural biases on other cultures in hopes this will improve the patient experience.

Conclusion

So much progress has been achieved in the last few decades to improve the treatments and awareness of cancer to improve the mortality rate and the quality of life for those afflicted by cancer, but there is still so much to be done. More and more people are beginning to understand the disease better and the efforts to dispel negative stigmas of cancer are growing every day. With the way that the disease is being attacked on a medical and social front it seems like there will only be more improvements in the years to come. Hopefully these improvements will result in more and more people becoming educated and decreasing the mortality rate of cancers across the world.

References

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