Chinese culture influences cancer patients (part 2)

The Chinese healing focuses on Ying and Yang,which seek balance and harmony within the body. It’s in complete accordance with the term “homeostasis” in modern western medicine which describes the balance of all physiological processes. The Chinese people believe that many diseases such as cancer and autoimmune disorders are related to the loss of balance between Ying and Yang which compromises the bodily functions. This is also reflected in some theories in the western medicine, such as decreased immune surveillance gives neoplastic cells the opportunities to become cancerous. In this sense, there is very little difference between the view of cancer in Chinese culture and that in the modern western medicine. However, when it comes to cancer care, these two systems do not always share the same approaches.

In the hospitals of North America, doctors typically communicate directly with the patients about his or her conditions and provide detailed information on the benefits and risks of different treatment regimens. The patient usually has a complete grasp of the situation and is one of the main decision makers during the treatment process. However, in Chinese culture, doctors, nurses, and family member tend to keep the patient “out of the loop” by hiding much information, especially the grave news, from him/her. Even if it is decided that the patient should be informed of real situation, the communication is typically done between the family members and the patient, but not directly from the doctor . 

Interestingly, despite being a taboo topic in Chinese culture, the diagnosis of cancer is usually received well the by patients themselves, and hysteria or deep depression is rarely observed. This also stems from the ancient Chinese culture. For example, Confucianism views death as a preservation of virtue and Buddhism believes in reincarnation, where a new life will occur after death . From the evolution point of view, death is part of the life circle, and it is a necessary process to ensure the variety of the genetics which allow us to adapt to the ever changing environment without overwhelming the earth with exploding population. Cancer is just one of the natural processes to enforce the life circle and is of little fundament difference from other forms of death.