Our Founder, Dr Tingting Zhang, was invited by African Diaspora Cancer Network Inc to open their Transcultural Oncology Webinar Series on February 28th, 2025 with a discussion on addressing culture diversities in global cancer care.
She shared her personal journey from a caregiver to a cancer researcher before surviving cancer and becoming a patient advocate herself. She urged that similar to what are offered in culture orientation programs for business expats, cultural awareness is also important to gain trust to care for cancer patients with diverse cultures. She drew her experience in tech-enabled cancer care management in Asia to compare different views of cancer care delivery:
An alternative Chinese view of cancer care delivery model is shown with more family involvement and alternative supportive modules. Awareness of such perspective will help mainstream oncologists to be aware of other parties engaged in the care of immigrant cancer patients. For example, oncologists need to consider the impact of herbal remedies on drug-drug interactions, especially in evaluation of side effects of treatments.
Dr. Zhang also urged the diverse participants in the webinar to assess differentiating cultural features in their own cultures or cultural diversities in their practices:
Dr. Zhang suggested that we learn from other cultures and improve risk management and caregiver support in the US:
The presentation was followed by a lively Q&A discussion, touching upon topics of economic barriers, the different expressions for cancer care, the impacts of religion and belief systems, culture norms and risk factors, and the need to be allies in advocacy and resource creation. Several participants volunteered to support African languages and dialects within Hear2Care’s patient education and outreach efforts.
LinkedIn post by ADCAN is available here:
