Centre for International Health, Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia.
J Ethnobiol Ethnomed. 2010 Jun 23;6:18. doi: 10.1186/1746-4269-6-18.
Little is known about the use of bush medicine and traditional healing among Aboriginal Australians for their treatment of cancer and the meanings attached to it. A qualitative study that explored Aboriginal Australians' perspectives and experiences of cancer and cancer services in Western Australia provided an opportunity to analyse the contemporary meanings attached and use of bush medicine by Aboriginal people with cancer in Western Australia
Data collection occurred in Perth, both rural and remote areas and included individual in-depth interviews, observations and field notes. Of the thirty-seven interviews with Aboriginal cancer patients, family members of people who died from cancer and some Aboriginal health care providers, 11 participants whose responses included substantial mention on the issue of bush medicine and traditional healing were selected for the analysis for this paper.
The study findings have shown that as part of their healing some Aboriginal Australians use traditional medicine for treating their cancer. Such healing processes and medicines were preferred by some because it helped reconnect them with their heritage, land, culture and the spirits of their ancestors, bringing peace of mind during their illness. Spiritual beliefs and holistic health approaches and practices play an important role in the treatment choices for some patients.
Service providers need to acknowledge and understand the existence of Aboriginal knowledge (epistemology) and accept that traditional healing can be an important addition to an Aboriginal person's healing complementing Western medical treatment regimes. Allowing and supporting traditional approaches to treatment reflects a commitment by modern medical services to adopting an Aboriginal-friendly approach that is not only culturally appropriate but assists with the cultural security of the service.
对于原住民澳大利亚人使用传统草药和传统疗法来治疗癌症及其背后的含义，我们知之甚少。一项在西澳大利亚州探索原住民对癌症和癌症服务的看法和体验的定性研究，为分析原住民癌症患者对现代传统草药和传统疗法的看法和使用提供了机会。
数据收集在珀斯进行，包括农村和偏远地区的个人深入访谈、观察和实地笔记。在对 37 名原住民癌症患者、癌症死亡患者的家属和一些原住民医疗服务提供者的访谈中，选择了 11 名受访者，他们的回答中包含了大量关于传统草药和传统疗法的内容，作为本文分析的一部分。
研究结果表明，作为治疗过程的一部分，一些原住民澳大利亚人会使用传统药物来治疗癌症。一些人之所以选择这种治疗方法，是因为它帮助他们与自己的传统、土地、文化和祖先的灵魂重新联系起来，在患病期间给他们带来心灵的平静。精神信仰和整体健康方法和实践在一些患者的治疗选择中起着重要作用。
服务提供者需要承认和理解原住民知识（认识论）的存在，并接受传统疗法可以作为原住民治疗的重要补充，与西方医学治疗方案相辅相成。允许和支持传统治疗方法反映了现代医疗服务机构采取一种不仅在文化上合适，而且有助于服务文化安全的土著友好方法的承诺。
