The Treatment Experience of Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Cancer Patients: A Scoping Review To Inform...

Effective communication is a critical aspect of cancer care delivery. Specific communication challenges exist for culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) patients and healthcare professionals throughout cancer treatment. This literature review aimed to examine the cancer treatment experience of CALD patients. A systematic scoping review was conducted in January 2025 using the databases; OVID Medline, EMBASE, and Cochrane Central. Search parameters included cancer, cultural diversity, language, and patient experience. Adhering to PRISMA guidelines and an established PICOS framework, 47 articles were selected for review. Exclusion criteria omitted duplicates, non-English language publications, articles published prior to 2010, and those unrelated to oncology and/or CALD communities. Three overarching themes were established from the literature; (1) education & empowerment, (2) quality care provision, and (3) system-level change. Communication barriers impacted the experience of cancer care and compromised treatment outcomes. Translated resources and staff cultural awareness training were observed to be beneficial for CALD patients. There is justified need to improve communication supports and resources for CALD patients and their clinicians. However, radiotherapy (RT) specific research is required to safely implement, contextualise and validate findings - informing bespoke communication improvement opportunities within RT practice.