Table of ContentsRaceGenderClassReligionCultureConclusionReferencesCancer is the second leading cause of death worldwide and has accounted for more than nine million of deaths in 2018. This means that approximately one in six deaths is caused by cancer. This disease not only affects those affected, but can also have major consequences for the family and friends of people with cancer. As cancer is a very common disease today, it has become a major concern for many people, leading to the establishment of many charitable foundations and an increase in awareness campaigns in the media. Even with increased awareness, more needs to be done to educate the population about the disease, as many segments of the population still have major misconceptions and fears about cancer. Over the year, cancer has made people very uncomfortable and afraid. In the past, cancer was considered a hopeless disease with little hope of survival. Today, cancer is increasingly seen as a treatable and manageable disease and has lost some of the negative stigma associated with the disease. Cancer can still be perceived very differently by each person affected by the disease or aware of the risks associated with the disease, for several reasons. This article will discuss some of these different views of cancer based on religious and cultural beliefs, race, class, and gender. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”?Get the original essayRaceThere are many differences in the way cancer is viewed among different races of people. These different perceptions can affect how these people generally feel about the disease as well as how they will screen for cancer and seek cancer treatments. One of the biggest differences in perception across races appears to be the risk factor for cancer. This problem appears to be due to the way cancer is treated in the media and portrayed differently depending on race. In surveys taken to measure perceived cancer risk, nonwhites responded that they were less concerned about cancer than whites. There are many reasons why these misconceptions can occur in the media and these differences in perception have huge impacts on mortality rates. Lack of information about the disease, such as risk factors and family history of the disease, could be reasons behind this disparity (Singh and Jemal, 2017). In the past, the media hasn't had many depictions of cancer aimed at non-white people. Magazines such as Ebony, a magazine aimed at African-American women, published only 84 articles about cancer between 1987 and 1994. During those same years, there were nearly 1,500 advertisements for tobacco products. In contrast, there are many more depictions of cancer in white-targeted media, including print publications and television programs. Differences in education and awareness of the disease have made cancer less of a concern to non-whites than to whites. The white population is much more concerned about cancer and is more diligent about getting screened and being prepared to face cancer head on. This view among the white population is partly because many view cancer not only as a battle, but as a battle that can be won. For those whosurvive the disease, we often talk about beating cancer and surviving the disease is a badge of honor. These ideas about the disease are supported by more targeted cancer information media aimed at this demographic. From television to print media, media targeting the white market contain much more informative and statistical data on cancer screenings, treatments and preventative measures. Gender Cancer culture as it relates to gender also contains many differences in how it is presented and perceived by those. of different genres. These differences in how the disease presents are mainly because the disease can affect the body in so many different ways that there are many classifications of cancer. Different types of cancer receive different levels of awareness depending on the amount of outreach done by the foundations that represent each type of cancer. Currently, one of the most important forms of cancer awareness is breast cancer. Breast cancer mainly affects women, but can also affect men. It receives a lot of media attention and dedicates an entire month to Breast Cancer Awareness Month. These women with breast cancer are considered survivors and people rally around them. It became such a sustained awareness campaign that everyone from TV hosts to professional athletes were rosy throughout the month and talking about their own stories and support for those affected by breast cancer. One of the differences in how men and women cope with cancer is their perception of the disease and their gender roles. Many men are less willing to come out and seek help and information about cancers from others because of their strong sense of needing to be independent or feeling like they have to support themselves. There are also fears about how cancer will affect them, such as hair loss or physical weakening that could make them feel less masculine. There is also a feeling of needing to provide for their family, even if injured, and the fear of cancer is not being able to provide for them for a long time. These feelings can lead many men to ignore symptoms or postpone screenings for fear of discovering they have the disease. In contrast, among women, cancer remains a scary disease, but women are much more likely to get regular screenings and be more proactive about habits that reduce cancer risks. Most depictions of cancer in the media when it comes to women are intended to show how brave women are in the face of cancer. Furthermore, considering gender roles, women are considered more willing to seek information about the disease and seek support from their families when faced with cancer. Recently, the American Cancer Society launched an ad campaign that appeals to more men and how they have received support in their fight against cancer. Advertisements like this may help change some of men's current perceptions about cancer and treatment for the disease. ClassSocioeconomic status has a lot to do with how people view cancer and how they follow treatment. . Socioeconomic status creates one of the largest gaps in how patients perceive cancer and in survival rates for people with cancer. Thatcan be attributed to poor lifestyle habits as well as lack of health care and awareness of the disease in poorer communities. These lifestyle choices and lack of resources can not only put people of lower socioeconomic status at higher risk of cancer, but can also make recovery from the disease much more difficult. In areas where populations are of low socioeconomic status, there can be many misconceptions and lies related to cancer. A big disparity in the lower socioeconomic class is general cancer awareness. There are misconceptions in lower class communities, such as cancer being seen as a death sentence, not knowing the general symptoms of cancer, which can lead these people to be afraid of cancer screening or simply do not consider going to the doctor when symptoms appear. In these poorer communities, there appears to be a general lack of awareness about cancer, which may be attributed to why the mortality rate is so higher than those of higher socioeconomic status ( Health Disparities in Cancer, 2018). Lack of general knowledge about the disease and lack of resources to prevent and treat the disease make cancer an even more frightening disease for people living in low-income areas. Less awareness and higher mortality rates are due to lack of resources. Many of these people living in deprived neighborhoods have a much lower level of education and live below the poverty line. People belonging to a lower class do not seek treatment quickly, or at all, because they cannot afford to take time off from work or because they do not have access to health care. The lack of information about cancer can also give perspective to some of the poor lifestyle choices made in these communities (Singh and Jemal, 2017). This has led these regions to have a more negative view of cancer and to feel helpless in the face of the disease. Unfortunately, little is being done to increase awareness and improve the availability of health care in these areas in order to change the perceptions of these people and help these communities become healthier.ReligionReligion can play an important role in how whose people and their families face cancer. This may impact how the disease is diagnosed and treated as well as possible links to the recovery of cancer patients. Once a person is diagnosed with cancer, many life-changing decisions must be made, and some people make these decisions largely on faith. Religion can have a positive or negative impact on cancer treatment as well as the patient's quality of life. It seems that most religions believe that God is responsible for health, illness and healing. Many of these people, especially in the Catholic faith, believe that God is also the primary source of comfort and hope during the illness process (Jennifer D. Allen, et al., 2014). Many religions also believe that medical technology and treatments are a gift from God and sources that they can use in their fight against cancer. This does not mean that they completely trust the medical providers they use and that they should know that those providers respect their religious beliefs. It is very important that when a personis treated for cancer, doctors understand and work with patients based on their religious beliefs. If patients do not trust the doctor treating them, it can make treatment even more difficult and stressful for the patient. There are issues that may not seem so important to the hospital and could be as simple as providing food options to those who need kosher or halal meals, for example, which can go a long way in ensuring that the patient feels more comfortable and more frank with the attending physicians. them. In some religions, the patient may feel the need to observe fasting or other rituals that may not meet all physician-recommended diets (Nelson, 2017). In these cases, if the doctor does not respect the patient's religious beliefs, the patient may begin to hide behaviors or become completely uncooperative with the doctor. Jehovah's Witnesses, for example, have religious beliefs that prevent them from undergoing any form of treatment that could harm them. include blood transfusions. This could potentially prevent them from receiving certain chemotherapies that are too intense on the body without a transfusion component, but very necessary for the treatment of the disease. This has led the Church to develop relationships with hospitals and communicate what patients' wishes will be regarding treatment. Hospitals responded by modifying some treatments so that they could be administered to Jehovah's Witnesses. Even if the modified treatments are not as effective, they are still better than previous treatments or no treatment replacing necessary treatments including blood transfusions (Nelson, 2017). They are not the only religion trying to build more relationships with health care providers to help them meet the needs of members of their religious faith. There are also issues within Orthodox Jewish communities that can complicate the patient's treatment of cancer after diagnosis. In some cases, Orthodox Jewish followers will bring their rabbi to help them consult with doctors to decide on treatments. This stems from the negative stigma associated with cancer in the community. A cancer diagnosis could make a person less desirable in the community. Even if one family member is diagnosed with cancer, it can affect other family members in terms of their status in the community. Religion can also have positive effects on how patients manage illness and their treatment. When patients are diagnosed with cancer, religious beliefs can play a huge role in how they cope with the reality of having the disease. These beliefs can influence the response to a diagnosis by helping them find center and be more at peace with themselves (Simon, 2015). Religion can also have a positive effect on how patients feel physically during cancer treatment. It has been reported that many people with strong spiritual beliefs report better physical sensations during cancer treatments.CultureIn some cultures, cancer gives rise to myths and certain prejudices that can prevent people from getting appropriate treatment. These myths and prejudices about cancer are mainly because some cultures still lack awareness and general knowledge about cancer and treatments for the disease. This makes it particularly difficult for healthcare providers to care for these patients when they have ideas.