WE DON'T BRING OUR BURDENS HOME: AMERICAN INDIAN RESPONSE TO CANCER DIAGNOSIS.

A cancer diagnosis and resulting cancer experience can cause distress and overwhelming burden to the cancer survivor and their family. American Indians shared their experiences following a cancer diagnosis in a series of focus groups in the Southwest US. Sessions were audio-recorded. transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using Grounded Theory methods. A common theme was that one does not talk about their cancer diagnosis/experience. Suffering in silence explained as "we don't bring our burdens home" leaves many survivors less likely to seek preventative care or early treatment, without social and family support, contributing to reduced treatment compliance and poor access to healthcare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]