Abstract
BackgroundThe stigma experienced by cancer patients stems from the association of cancer with death, as cancer is the most feared disease worldwide, especially among cancer patients and their families. The stigma regarding breast cancer screening behaviour has not been critically evaluated and is poorly understood; therefore, we aimed to analyse the stigmatization of breast cancer patients in Indonesia to reduce the morbidity and mortality of breast cancer.MethodsA qualitative study using a focus group discussion (FGD) and in-depth interviews with thematic analysis was conducted.ResultsOne informant experienced breast pain and kept the referral letter, in which the medical doctor advised medical treatment, to herself for 3 months due to her embarrassment. A traditional healing practice known as ‘kerokan’, which involves scraping of the skin, and consumption of a traditional drink were used by most informants to decrease their breast pain. Finally, most informants were diagnosed with an advanced stage of cancer when they returned to the health care facility. In addition, financial difficulties were noted as barriers to breast cancer screening in Indonesia.ConclusionsFeelings of fear and shame when diagnosed with breast cancer were reported by the informants in this study. Alternative treatment known as ‘kerokan’ was the first treatment sought for breast cancer symptoms due to financial difficulties among breast cancer patients. Informants were diagnosed with an advanced stage of cancer after they returned to the health care facility. A better understanding of early breast cancer symptoms could motivate women to seek out breast cancer treatment.
Highlights
The stigma experienced by cancer patients stems from the association of cancer with death, as cancer is the most feared disease worldwide, especially among cancer patients and their families
The stigma regarding breast cancer screening behaviour has not been critically evaluated and is poorly understood; we aimed to analyse the stigmatization of breast cancer patients in Indonesia to reduce the morbidity and mortality of breast cancer
Demographic features Indonesian women over 30 years old with breast cancer participated in this study
Summary
The stigma experienced by cancer patients stems from the association of cancer with death, as cancer is the most feared disease worldwide, especially among cancer patients and their families. Breast cancer is the most common cause of cancer death among women worldwide, including in Indonesia. Solikhah et al BMC Women's Health (2020) 20:116 that most patients with cancers diagnosed at an advanced stage had a poor prognosis [4–6]. Most breast cancer deaths in developing countries such as Indonesia result from a very poor awareness of breast cancer [7], lack of biomedical treatment [8], and breast cancer stigma [9]. In Indonesia, as a developing country with no routine national mammography or clinical breast examination programme due to the limited number of health care facilities, most breast cancer patients are diagnosed at an advanced stage, as reported by the Health Ministry of the Republic of Indonesia in 2016. The stigma regarding breast cancer screening behaviour has not been critically evaluated and is poorly understood; we aimed to analyse the stigmatization of breast cancer patients in Indonesia to reduce the morbidity and mortality of breast cancer
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