An experience of Patients Who Follow Oriental Medicine After Cancer Diagnosis

암진단 이후 한방진료를 이용하는 암환자의 경험에 관한 연구

Most of cancer therapy consists of surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy developed by modern western medicine. Often Korean patients use both modem western and oriental medicine through their cancer life. This study tried out to answer the the question : "What are the experience of a Korean cancer patients who follow oriental medicine after cancer diagnosis?" To answer to that, a micro-ethnographic research method was used. Total 6 patients were observed from March, 1996 to February, 1997. Data were obtained through interview, participant observation, audio-tape recording, field recoding, field note-taking, and ralated documents Using an analytical tool known as "pencil and scissors", the data were analyzed. First, I learned patietnts' accounts for cancer experience following oriental medicine, and I could found that they expereinced "feeling of uncertainty" through cancer life. Second, major argument was searched. : Feeling of uncertainty of cancer patients was extremely increased after cancer diagnosis. Oriental Medicine made cancer patients not only expect to improve general physical condition, but also gave them significnat emotional support to overcome their feeling of uncertanty. Third, I examined how did this argument form meanings in the context of individual life. Modem western mediacal service system could not satisfy cancer patients' informational and emotional need. But oriental medicine contribute to relieve the degree of their feeling of uncertainty. As a result of these understandings, I suggest that modern wetern medicine need to be concerned to feeling of uncertainty of cancer patietns and infomational service, and oriental medicine counsel with cancer patients much more systemically. Also nurses must improve cancer education with more accurate and practical information based on empirical data.