Singh Harvinderjit Vicky, Nakken Esten, Fauske Lena
Department of Radiography, Oslo Metropolitan University, Oslo, Norway.
Department of Oncology, Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
Tech Innov Patient Support Radiat Oncol. 2025 May 17;34:100315. doi: 10.1016/j.tipsro.2025.100315. eCollection 2025 Jun.
This study explored the experiences of women with South Asian ethnicity who received chemoradiotherapy for cervical cancer in Norway. Research on how they cope with radiotherapy, as well as the challenges they face in relation to cancer care, is crucial to generate new knowledge about the situation of minority women. This study sought to promote a more equitable healthcare service and provide more personalised information for minority women.
This study has a qualitative, exploratory design and applied a phenomenological and hermeneutical approach based on individual in-depth interviews with seven South Asian women. These women moved to Norway after the age of 18 and subsequently received chemoradiotherapy for cervical cancer. The interviews were conducted in each woman's own language. The data were interpreted via reflexive thematic analysis.
The data analysis revealed that a lack of cultural understanding among healthcare professionals made the treatment experience challenging for the interviewed women, while a lack of familiarity with the Norwegian language made health information less accessible to them. Linguistic and cultural barriers rendered the women vulnerable, both during their treatment and during the scheduled clinical follow-up period, which was often reported to be a lonely experience.
The experiences of minority women with cervical cancer who are treated with radiotherapy are influenced by challenges related to culture and language. This highlights a clear need for individually tailored health information and access to professional interpreters. Additionally, there is a need for support groups conducted in minority languages.
本研究探讨了在挪威接受宫颈癌放化疗的南亚裔女性的经历。研究她们如何应对放疗以及在癌症护理方面面临的挑战，对于获取有关少数族裔女性状况的新知识至关重要。本研究旨在促进更公平的医疗服务，并为少数族裔女性提供更个性化的信息。
本研究采用定性、探索性设计，基于对七名南亚裔女性的个人深度访谈，运用现象学和诠释学方法。这些女性在18岁之后移居挪威，随后接受了宫颈癌放化疗。访谈以每位女性自己的语言进行。数据通过反思性主题分析进行解读。
数据分析显示，医疗保健专业人员缺乏文化理解，使得受访女性的治疗经历充满挑战，而对挪威语不熟悉则使她们难以获取健康信息。语言和文化障碍使这些女性在治疗期间以及定期临床随访期间都处于弱势，她们经常表示这是一段孤独的经历。
接受放疗的少数族裔宫颈癌女性的经历受到与文化和语言相关的挑战的影响。这凸显了对量身定制的健康信息以及获得专业口译服务的明确需求。此外，还需要以少数族裔语言开展支持小组。
