Güney Seda, Doğan Özlem Çiçek, Bağçivan Gülcan
Faculty of Nursing, Koç University, Istanbul, Turkey.
Faculty of Nursing, Koç University, Istanbul, Turkey.
Semin Oncol Nurs. 2025 Jun;41(3):151879. doi: 10.1016/j.soncn.2025.151879. Epub 2025 Apr 12.
In Türkiye, which hosts over 3.6 million Syrian refugees seeking safety and stability, reducing inequalities in access to adequate cancer care is pivotal and multifaceted. This study aims to critically discuss cancer care provided for refugees in Türkiye, focusing on the barriers they face, and the progress in addressing these challenges.
This discussion paper employs an environmental scan approach. Literature searches in both English and Turkish were conducted using databases Web of Science, PubMed, TR Dizin, and MEDLINE, focusing on keywords such as "refugees," "cancer care," and "immigrants." Policy documents and regulations related to refugee health in Türkiye were also reviewed. The analysis incorporated information from official websites and online resources, including the Turkish Ministry of Health (MoH), Directorate General of Migration Management (DGMM), World Health Organization (WHO)United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), United Nations Development Program (UNDP), and reports from the EU-funded SIHHAT Project. The Conceptual Framework for Health Service Use was utilized to structure the reporting and analysis of the literature, ensuring a comprehensive assessment of access to cancer care among refugees.
Findings reveal multiple factors influence refugees' access to cancer care in Türkiye. Predisposing factors, such as language barriers, limited health literacy, and cultural beliefs about cancer, impact refugees' willingness and ability to seek timely care. Enabling factors, including legal status, economic constraints, and availability of refugee-specific health services, significantly shape their access to diagnosis and treatment. Although policy reforms and community-based interventions aim to improve cancer care accessibility, need-based factors, such as delays in diagnosis and inadequate continuity of care, continue to hinder optimal healthcare utilization.
To ensure more inclusive cancer care, future strategies should focus on improving healthcare system navigation, strengthening financial and structural support, and enhancing the cultural competence of healthcare professionals. A comprehensive and sustainable approach is needed to bridge gaps and promote equitable cancer care access for all refugee populations.
Nurses are crucial in improving cancer care for refugees by providing culturally sensitive education, enhancing communication between patients and healthcare providers, and advocating for health policies that address refugees' specific needs. Strengthening the role of nurses in multidisciplinary teams will further enhance the delivery of holistic and patient-centered cancer care for refugees.
在接纳了超过360万寻求安全与稳定的叙利亚难民的土耳其，减少获得充分癌症护理方面的不平等至关重要且涉及多方面。本研究旨在批判性地讨论土耳其为难民提供的癌症护理，重点关注他们面临的障碍以及应对这些挑战所取得的进展。
本讨论文件采用环境扫描方法。使用科学网、PubMed、TR Dizin和MEDLINE数据库进行了英文和土耳其文的文献检索，重点关注“难民”“癌症护理”和“移民”等关键词。还审查了土耳其与难民健康相关的政策文件和法规。分析纳入了来自官方网站和在线资源的信息，包括土耳其卫生部、移民管理总局、世界卫生组织、联合国难民事务高级专员公署、联合国开发计划署，以及欧盟资助的SIHHAT项目的报告。利用卫生服务利用概念框架来构建文献的报告和分析，确保对难民获得癌症护理的情况进行全面评估。
研究结果表明，多种因素影响着土耳其难民获得癌症护理的机会。易患因素，如语言障碍、健康素养有限以及对癌症的文化观念，影响难民寻求及时护理的意愿和能力。促成因素，包括法律地位、经济限制以及针对难民的健康服务的可及性，显著影响他们获得诊断和治疗的机会。尽管政策改革和基于社区的干预措施旨在提高癌症护理的可及性，但基于需求的因素，如诊断延迟和护理连续性不足，仍然阻碍着最佳医疗保健的利用。
为确保更具包容性的癌症护理，未来战略应侧重于改善医疗系统导航、加强财政和结构支持以及提高医疗专业人员的文化能力。需要一种全面且可持续的方法来弥合差距并促进所有难民群体公平获得癌症护理。
护士在为难民改善癌症护理方面至关重要，通过提供具有文化敏感性的教育、加强患者与医疗服务提供者之间的沟通以及倡导满足难民特殊需求的卫生政策。加强护士在多学科团队中的作用将进一步提高为难民提供整体和以患者为中心的癌症护理的水平。
