 By Ji Hyun Lim
Virginia Mei was diagnosed with rectal cancer in 1985. She underwent radiation and an operation. At that time, there was no group therapy for Chinese speakers. Relating to other cancer survivors would have cushioned the blows to her physical and mental state, but she struggled alone. But with her will to survive, she was able to conquer the disease, which has been in remission for 16 years. Now, she wants to talk about it.
“It was tough for me,” Mei said. “Cancer patients are very scared, upset and nervous. We don’t know what’s going to happen next. I wanted to do something meaningful where I could do [something] good for myself and for others. I decided to volunteer for the community.”
Mei is now an on-line talk show host. As a moderator, she and four survivors discuss specific issues relating to cancer, such as communicating with their families about the disease and fear of recurrence, as well as dealing with side effects of chemotherapy. Cancer patients, their families and caregivers can listen to pre-recorded messages in Cantonese and Mandarin via the Web or through a toll-free hotline, available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Brochures written in Chinese are also available for those who seek more information for support group meetings. The program is supported by the American Cancer Society.
Asian American Network for Cancer Awareness, Research and Training (AANCART) reports that Asian Americans are just as susceptible, if not more, to cancer as any other ethnic group. Alarmingly, the disease has been the No. 1 killer of Asian American women since 1980. Between 1990-1995, API men have experienced an annual increase in prostate cancer by 1.4 percent. Lung cancer rates among Southeast Asians are 18 percent higher than among white Americans.
A Stanford University study, funded by the National Cancer Institute confirms that supportive-expressive group psychotherapy intervention increases life span. According to the study, survival time for the treatment group was 36.6 months compared to 18.9 months for the control group. Those results indicate that psychosocial support may have resulted in statistically and clinically significant increases in survival time.
“One finding that has been consistently supported in research is that people who have strong social support seem to have better quality of life outcomes,” said Frank Baker, vice president of research at the American Cancer Society (ACS).
ACS has made efforts to reach out to the non-English-speaking API communities with in-language information. The organization spearheaded “on-line networking” in July 2000. Feedback from Chinese communities will determine how ACS will outreach to other ethnic populations in the future.
Greta Greer, director of survivorship at the Cancer Society said that “on-line networking” complements — but is not a replacement for — medical information. “Experience-based information” helps cancer survivors cope and live with their illness, Greer said.
However, a strong support group is sometimes difficult when cultural beliefs and myths about disease are in place.
Mei pointed out: “Ten to 20 years ago, the Chinese population didn’t understand cancer. They knew it was a serious illness and felt unlucky. People stayed away from and chose not to discuss it. They were afraid that it’s contagious.”
“Some of the myths that surround the disease is that it is a fatalistic thing — a person is being punished for something they did in the past, it’s a death sentence,” said May Sung, vice president of advocacy for the California division of the Cancer Society. “They don’t want to tempt fate by dwelling on death.”
Greer realizes such myths exist. She hopes to dispel such beliefs through education. On-line networking, she said, could help save lives by just letting people know that they’re not alone.
“Cancer can be a difficult experience but it can also be a time of growth and renewal of spirit because people find within themselves the kind of strength and courage that maybe they didn’t know they had,” Greer said. “It gives them a wonderful sense of mastery and accomplishment. People say their cancer experience, as hard as it was, has a lot of value because it enables them to appreciate life.”
Mei added: “[Networking] helped me to go through the emotions. In the beginning, after my operation, I was very nervous. Later I realized fear and being nervous don’t help me. If you bury something in your heart, the problem is still there. It’s not psychologically good for you.”
Toll free number: (877) 333-4673 or 333-HOPE; ACS: 1-800-ACS-2345. In the Bay Area: 415-677-2473. In Fremont: 510-797-0600. Web Site: www.acscsn.org. ACS: www.cancer.org. |
