It is estimated that approximately 50% of patients with cancer experience pain, and this percentage increases to 80% in patients with terminal cancer. Misconceptions and concerns of patients with cancer regarding the use of opioid analgesics have been identified as one of the major barriers to achieving optimal pain control. Misconceptions and concerns regarding addiction and tolerance to opioid analgesics and patients' desire to be "good" have been reported in the United States. The aim of this survey was to determine if similar misconceptions and concerns exist in Hong Kong Chinese patients with cancer. The results indicate that Hong Kong Chinese patients have the same concerns regarding the use of opioid analgesics. The respondents' fatalistic beliefs are a major hindrance to optimizing pain control, with 79% indicating that pain is an inevitable aspect of hospitalization because they believe that cancer pain cannot be relieved by medications. Fear of addiction was a major concern for 52% of the respondents, and about the same number of respondents believed that opioid analgesics should be administered only as a last resort. Regarding a desire to be "good," more patients reported that they would prefer to disturb nurses rather than physicians. It is desirable that culturally specific education programs be provided to dispel patient misconceptions and concerns regarding the use of opioid analgesics.

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Cultural beliefs and practices within the Chinese population support the recommendations set by the health department for the protection of individuals and the community during the SARS pandemic. Therefore, the public health sector should become familiar with and support these Chinese cultural networks during pandemics.

Using a qualitative approach, this article aims to describe the experiences of Hong Kong Chinese fathers whose children were diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukemia. The experiences and coping strategies used were viewed from the gender perspective. Two in-depth interviews scheduled to coincide with the disease trajectory of acute lymphocytic leukemia were conducted with 9 fathers, and data were analyzed using the matrix system described by Miles and Huberman. Four categories were identified, including fathers' initial reactions to the child's confirmed diagnosis, the decision to disclose the child's diagnosis to others, social support of the fathers, and their effective coping mechanisms. Previous research has shown that men are expected to be emotionally strong to support their spouse. Findings from this study indicate that Hong Kong Chinese fathers need emotional support especially at the onset of the child's diagnosis. Implications for healthcare professionals include the need for ongoing psychosocial support and education over the course of the child's illness. Thus, assessment of the different coping strategies used by the fathers plays a vital role in providing quality care to these fathers. Limitations of the study and recommendations for future research are also included.