Liu Yufeng, Semino Elena, Rietjens Judith, Payne Sheila
Department of Linguistics and English Language, Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK
Department of Linguistics and English Language, Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK.
BMJ Support Palliat Care. 2024 Dec 19;14(e3):e2366-e2376. doi: 10.1136/spcare-2024-004927.
The use of metaphors to talk about cancer experiences has attracted much research and debate, especially in the case of military metaphors. However, questions remain about what metaphors are used by different populations for different aspects of the cancer experience. This scoping review aims to answer them.We searched PubMed, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Scopus and Web of Science databases. Eligible sources include peer-reviewed scientific research published in English between 2013 and 2023, investigating patterns of metaphor use from adult populations (age ≥18) for cancer-related topics, such as cancer itself, the general experience of being ill, treatment, and people and relationships.Out of 1929 articles identified, 30 met the criteria, spanning over different populations. While most papers focused on cancer in general, some focused on specific cancer types, such as breast cancer. Both spontaneous and elicited data were collected in ten languages: mostly English (N=12), Swedish (N=3) and Arabic (N=3). The identified metaphors were subsumed under various broad categories, including particularly violence and journey. Other categories include education and non-human animate entity for the cancer itself, confinement and deprivation and cleanliness for the general experience of being ill with cancer, Poison and gardening for cancer treatment, and distance for patients' social relationships.It was found that metaphors help to identify how patients describe experiences of vulnerability and empowerment. To provide patient-centred care, clinicians and researchers should avoid blanket conclusions about helpful or unhelpful metaphors, but consider the ways in which different metaphors are used by different populations in different contexts.
用隐喻来谈论癌症经历已经引发了大量研究和争论，尤其是在军事隐喻方面。然而，对于不同人群在癌症经历的不同方面使用了哪些隐喻，仍存在疑问。本范围综述旨在回答这些问题。我们检索了PubMed、PsycINFO、CINAHL、Scopus和Web of Science数据库。符合条件的来源包括2013年至2023年期间以英文发表的同行评审科学研究，这些研究调查了成年人群（年龄≥18岁）在癌症相关主题上的隐喻使用模式，如癌症本身、患病的总体经历、治疗以及人与人际关系。在识别出的1929篇文章中，有30篇符合标准，涵盖了不同人群。虽然大多数论文关注的是一般意义上的癌症，但也有一些关注特定的癌症类型，如乳腺癌。研究以十种语言收集了自发和诱发的数据：主要是英语（N = 12）、瑞典语（N = 3）和阿拉伯语（N = 3）。所识别出的隐喻被归入各种宽泛的类别，尤其包括暴力和旅程。其他类别包括将癌症本身比喻为教育和非人类有生命实体，将患癌症的总体经历比喻为禁闭和剥夺以及清洁，将癌症治疗比喻为毒药和园艺，将患者的社会关系比喻为距离。研究发现，隐喻有助于识别患者如何描述脆弱和赋权的经历。为了提供以患者为中心的护理，临床医生和研究人员应避免对有益或无益的隐喻一概而论，而是要考虑不同人群在不同背景下使用不同隐喻的方式。
