Cultural views of cancer around the world

Social attitudes toward cancer, participation in early detection and screening services, and compliance with treatment are all known to be profoundly affected by cultural beliefs and norms. It is thus imperative that oncology nurses develop cultural competence and deliver culturally sensitive care. Cross-cultural nursing studies also require cultural sensitivity because they rely on the accurate choice of culturally relevant research methods. However, the specific steps that should be taken to enhance the cultural relevance of both nursing health care delivery and nursing research have yet to be elaborated. This article aims to clarify these issues on the basis of a critical survey of the literature on cultural views of cancer in multiethnic societies and in various countries around the world. The analysis of studies focusing on this subject illuminates misconceptions that may interfere with the application of cancer nursing to other cultures, and possible misinterpretations of cultural and cross-cultural research findings. The conclusions drawn from this analysis concern practical means for facilitating nurses' ability to properly address cultural diversity through the incorporation of culture-related variables into nursing interventions. They also relate to the education of nurses about cross-cultural aspects of cancer, culturally sensitive assessment tools, comparative studies, and theories in the field of international cancer nursing, all of which await further development.