Cultural-Spiritual Guidance in Caring for Cancer Patients in the Dominican Republic, Dominican Republic

The Dominican Republic is a melting pot of races and cultures. Its people perceive the diagnosis of cancer largely as a catastrophic event, not only from a scientific perspective but also from a magical/religious syncretism. Historically, the Dominican Republic has been influenced by dictatorial regimens (as have other Latin American countries), furthering the doctrine of medical paternalism to current generations. Its medical system strives daily to improve clinical protocols that would offer adequate psychosocial support for patients and their families. Still, many believe that a cure is contingent upon religious deities, and they are always hoping for some miracle or supernatural occurrence to intervene, regardless of their actual condition or stage of disease. Physicians in the Dominican Republic analyze all the clinical elements and sociocultural beliefs of their patients in an effort to offer appropriate interventions and search for better prognoses. National cancer care programs are encouraged to coordinate with the existing reality of the country, respecting family customs, faith, and beliefs which, far from being rejected, must be integrated into the psychoemotional vision of treatment, utilizing them as holistic supplements that contribute to the patient’s and their family’s strength and emotional support throughout the disease process.