“Our Beauty Is in Our Breasts”: A Culture-Centered Approach to Understanding Cancer Perceptions in Kwa Zulu Natal, South Africa

Abstract

Breast cancer is an incapacitating physical illness. It was once reported predominantly by patients in developed countries. With the advent of globalization, it is increasingly becoming a major health concern in developing countries such as South Africa. Breast cancer researchers have continuously advocated for original studies that address this condition from a sociocultural perspective. Consequently, in this article I examine the perceptions of breast cancer patients from underprivileged parts of Kwa Zulu Natal (KZN). Thirty semi-structured interviews were conducted with Zulu women at a tertiary hospital in the region. A culture-centered approach was utilized to gauge their perceptions of life as breast cancer patients within the conservative Zulu community. The findings revealed that this ailment is generally misunderstood, which has adverse implications for the patients. Furthermore, there is a dire need for breast cancer communication interventions that can acquaint the Zulu community with this condition.

Symptoms, concerns, and experiences of women living with and beyond breast cancer in Africa: A mixed‐methods systematic review

“…In total, 48 studies were included, comprising quantitative (n = 24), qualitative (n = 23) and mixed methods 75 (n = 4) 33,35,41,50 ), (qualitative studies (n = 8) [53][54][55][56]58,60,66,71 ); Ghana (n = 11) (quantitative studies (n = 6) 31,32,36,39,48,51 ), (qualitative studies (n = 5) 57,61,63,69,72 ); Mali (n = 1) (quantitative studies (n = 1) 29 )); Central or Middle Africa (Cameroon (n = 1) (quantitative studies (n = 1) 28 )), Southern Africa (South Africa (n = 9) (quantitative studies (n = 1) 34 ), (qualitative studies (n = 8) 59,62,64,65,67,68,70,73 )), East Africa (Ethiopia (n = 9) (quantitative studies (n = 7) 30,37,40,42,44,46,47 ) (qualitative studies (n = 1) 74 ) (mixed method studies (n = 1) 75 );…”

“…58,60,65,75 In a study conducted in Ethiopia, breast cancer was reported to potentially be caused by mich (an Ethiopian ethnomedical category roughly equivalent to 'bad air'). 75 Studies commonly reported experiencing health service-related barriers to appropriate care (e.g., health professionals misdiagnosing their breast cancer, even after multiple attendances at health facilities 52,[54][55][56][59][60][61]63,64 ). Additional barriers contributing to delays in accessing care included language barriers where English was not a first language and the need for translators to communicate with health professionals.…”

“…60,61,63,68 Many women did not feel comfortable revealing their cancer diagnosis to others because of fears of stigma and perceptions about breast cancer and were selective with disclosure. Where a cancer diagnosis was disclosed, many participants reported feeling stigmatised by their family, community, and church 52,56,57,61,62,64,71,72 ; in one study a family believed breast cancer to be contagious and prevented a participant from feeding her son and provided her with a different set of plates and cutlery. 61 Before commencing treatment, many women felt there was a need to get cancer out of them, with fear that it would otherwise take over them and they would have no control of it.…”

“…Qualitative studies were conducted across a range of settings including tertiary, teaching and government hospitals, 52,[54][55][56][57][58][59][61][62][63][64][65][66][68][69][70]72,73,75 non-governmental organisations, 60,67 private hospitals 53,71 and the community. 74 Studies sought to understand the lived experiences of women with breast cancer 52,53,55,57,61-63,65,66,72,75,76 including cultural and social influences and support received and from whom, 54,60,64,67,71,73,74 alongside understanding patterns of initial symptoms and their management 56,58,59,68,69 (Suppplementary File 7:…”

Experiências de mulheres negras ao adoecer por câncer de mama: A imanência do sofrimento e cuidado

“…Portanto, possibilita uma exacerbação enfermidade, e assim dos estigmas, principalmente quando esta enfermidade tem como ação a mastectomia, que tem como consequência o medo a culpa (Zwane, 2021, Fonseca et al, 2020.…”