The experience of having cancer in Latin America

When the human experience is reduced to basic feelings, it becomes evident that the impact of cancer produces similar responses in people around the world. These responses are affected by the individual's culture, myths, and beliefs. Latin America includes several countries, each with different traditions and backgrounds. This article illuminates common cultural health beliefs in Latin America that play a significant role in the way Latin Americans perceive the experience of cancer. Nurses providing care to cancer patients should be aware of cultural differences and familiar with the lifeways of the major cultural groups in order to meet the needs of the patients under their care.