Cancer Fatalism: Attitudes Toward Screening and Care

Factors influencing cancer treatment decision-making by indigenous peoples: a systematic review

“…Among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, however, there is a further belief that there is nothing they can do to change this fact . Cohen identified such fatalism as being higher among minority groups and those with low socio‐economic status, as a result of lack of knowledge and lack of access to health services, both of which have been demonstrated in this review to influence cancer treatment decision‐making. These beliefs are deeply rooted in Indigenous spirituality and are reinforced by the relatively high mortality rate for cancer among Indigenous people .…”

“…Fatalism represented an overriding belief that cancer is a death sentence . Participants were able to identify members of their families who had died from cancer, but not many who had survived.…”

Disparities in abnormal mammogram follow‐up time for Asian women compared with non‐Hispanic white women and between Asian ethnic groups

“…Although cultural barriers to mammography among different Asian ethnic groups, including lack of prevention orientation, cultural beliefs and stigma regarding breast cancer and screening, and modesty and embarrassment, are known to reduce screening mammography for these groups, to our knowledge it is unknown whether these same factors affect follow‐up. Other patient‐related factors previously explored for women in general are psychosocial barriers, including fear of pain associated with follow‐up examinations, cancer fatalism, anxiety while waiting for diagnostic results, and coping strategies . For example, some Asian groups perceive a diagnosis of cancer as a “death sentence.” Future studies designed specifically to understand factors associated with follow‐up behaviors among diverse Asian women with abnormal mammogram results should incorporate cultural, psychosocial, and potentially protective factors as well as patient differences and similarities among different Asian ethnic groups, and how those factors influence follow‐up outcomes.…”

“…Other patient-related factors previously explored for women in general are psychosocial barriers, including fear of pain associated with follow-up examinations, cancer fatalism, anxiety while waiting for diagnostic results, and coping strategies. [33][34][35] For example, some Asian groups perceive a diagnosis of cancer as a "death sentence." 36 Future studies designed specifically to understand factors associated with follow-up behaviors among diverse Asian women with abnormal mammogram results should incorporate cultural, psychosocial, and potentially protective factors as well as patient differences and similarities among different Asian ethnic groups, and how those factors influence follow-up outcomes.…”

In Asian americans, is having a family member diagnosed with cancer associated with fatalistic beliefs?

“…Among these beliefs is fatalism which holds that controlling ones’ outcome is not possible, and that ones’ outcome is predestined. [1] Fatalistic beliefs have been extensively studied in cancer survivors and the general population to characterize their sources and impact on screening and timing of care. [23]…”