Communication Research and Practice

Running head: CANCER EXPERIENCE
CANCER EXPERIENCE
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CANCER EXPERIENCE
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Title: Culturally and Linguistically Diverse population’s experience of cancer in Australia
Introduction:
The fundamental irregularity resulting in the expansion of cancer is affecting more than a
million individuals every year. While cancer affecting more than a million individuals in
Australia every year, it mostly affected people of a vulnerable population. Vulnerable population
in health refers to individuals who are at risk of failure to receive optimum health care and
support due to many aspects such as literacy, cultural diversity, and poor economic status. In this
context, cancer council of new south wales highlighted that with a high mortality rate of cancer,
approximately 32% of the death associated with cancer is observed in individuals belong to
culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities. Individuals from culturally and
linguistically diverse (CALD) communities experience unique challenges regarding cancer
screening and early diagnosis which affected their quality of life (Ro.uow.edu.au, 2019).
Amongst these challenges experienced by patients, the most obvious challenges are language
barriers and lack of familiarity with the Australian health system (Shaw et al., 2016). Moreover,
a significant number of individuals of the community failed to seek proper health services
because of differences in the cultural beliefs and values which further subjected them to misery
(Thai et al., 2018). Hence, this paper aimed to discuss the experience of living with cancer in
CALD as a vulnerable group to provide a direction to specialist cancer nurse
(SCN) regarding the essential principle, interventions and changes of the protocol they should
adopt to provide safe and responsive high-quality care to this population in following paragraphs.
Discussion:
Rationale behind vulnerability

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With frequent migration of population in different parts of the globe, Australia is known
as a nation of immigrants where individuals with cultural, socio-economical and racial diversity
have been observed. In New South Wales, the largest fraction of people from culturally and
Linguistically Diverse (CALD) backgrounds are living, which is approximately 35% of
Australia’s total population of culturally and Linguistically Diverse communities
(Www.cancercouncil.com.au, 2019). While balanced health at all cultures an essential aspect of
overcoming certain chronic diseases such as cancer, cultural and personal beliefs along with
background are playing a significant role in influencing health and response to the deliver
care. In this context, considering multicultural communities’ experience of cancer in Australia,
immigrants and refugees’ clients with diverse culture, race and ethnicity failed to receive diverse
health care services due to number of barriers which include cultural barriers ( language barriers,
traditional gender roles), literacy and service barriers ( lack of education , lack of accessing
services and reluctance to engage with services) and barriers associated with low socioeconomic
status (Butow, 2015).
Considering cultural barriers, while in developed countries, the population usually speak
English language, due to poor English proficiency, misinterpretation of body language and
professional jargon the vulnerable population like this group failed to seek adequate medical
services required for cancer treatment (McKenzie et al., 2016). Consequently, it poorly impacted
the experience of living with cancer in the CALD population. Hawkins et al. (2019), highlighted
that cancer patients and their families of CALD communities usually misinterpret
the professional jargons and body language and due to difference in the cultural, professionals
and practitioners also misinterpret the body languages which resulted in poor adherence to
cancer treatment and high cancer mortality rate. According to Gulati et al (2012), the experience

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of language and communication challenges by CALD population with cancer not limited to the
complexity of understanding medical terms but also in process of treatment and the advanced
health-related information. Mazza et al. (2018) conducted a cohort study on lung cancer patients
of anglo Australian background and result of the study suggested that due to differences in the
health literacy, cultural beliefs, and socioeconomic status, professionals tend to exhibit
poor clinical behaviours towards the patients which further impacted the adherence of
early screening of lung cancer. Even due to inadequate health literacy and difference in the
religious beliefs, they are unaware of services which can provide the early screening and
diagnosis (O’Hara et al., 2018). Consequently, late diagnosis and lack of proper culturally safe
practice result in increased morbidity and poor prognosis of cancer.
Considering literacy and service barriers, a significant number of families of cancer
patients failed to seek adequate health care services due to issues associated with public transport
as sometimes the health care centres are located in the main city and to get health facilities,
patients required to take public transports (Cullerton et al., 2016). Consequently, it impacted the
access to getting adequate health care services and prognosis of cancer. Moreover, the majority
of the population in the community is unaware of the management process and range
of culturally competent services available to them (O’Callaghan et al., 2016). While the lack of
unemployment or educational opportunity is the reason behind heath literacy, they are reluctant
to gain literacy due to cultural beliefs (Cullerton et al., 2016).
On the other hand, considering socioeconomic status, as the interventions and screening
of cancer is expensive, it is not affordable for cancer patients with low socioeconomic status.
Smith et al. (2018), conducted a retrospective study on 19, 453 CALD cancer patients and the
result of the study highlighted that the patients with low-income and rural and remote