癌症患者使用中醫的經驗：以乳癌病患為例

Experiences of Patients with Cancer in Receiving Traditional Chinese Medicine Treatment: An Example of Patients with Breast Cancer

郭淑珍

《人文社會與醫療學刊》 7期 (2020/05) Pp. 39-60

https://doi.org/10.6279/JHSSM.202005_(7).0002

摘要

中醫與西醫的知識理論系統和使用語言雖不同，但實際上卻有不少病患會同時使用中、西醫，特別是癌症病患，因此中、西醫如何整合來治療照護病人，近年來引發研究者的關注。本文以乳癌病患為例，以質性深入訪談、輔以參與觀察來呈現其中醫就醫行為之樣貌。研究發現受訪者雖以西醫治療為主，但仍會使用中醫；對受訪者而言，使用中醫是一個自助過程，蘊含著中醫藥固有觀念和文化根基代代相傳的影響；受訪者求診的中醫師，主要是透過乳癌病友或醫師朋友的推薦，大多在中醫診所看診；對中醫的療效，受訪者是藉由身體和心理主觀感受來呈現；在與西醫師溝通中醫使用的議題，大部分受訪者會先自行猜測、推估，認為西醫師可能不接受、不贊成其使用中醫；相較於西醫師對於此議題的態度，從參與觀察以及受訪者訪談描述中發現，中醫師較會主動要求受訪者提供其西醫治療、檢查的報告，以便做為中醫治療的參考，然而這樣的中、西醫整合或是溝通層次，仍是由病人來發起，並不是由醫師之間來開啟溝通。

關鍵字

中醫 ； 乳癌 ； 中醫師

並列摘要

Although Western and traditional Chinese medicines are based on different theoretical systems and languages, numerous patients choose to receive Western and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) treatments concurrently. Therefore, how TCM and Western medicine can be integrated for treating patients has become a focus in research in recent years, particularly the research on experiences of patients with cancer receiving TCM treatment. This study recruited patients with breast cancer as research participants to collect data of these patients' health-seeking behaviour in relation to TCM primarily through qualitative in-depth interviews and secondarily through participatory observation. According to the results, the 25 participants sought treatment mainly from Western medicine, but they also received TCM treatment. The participants considered seeking treatment from TCM a self-help process; they turned to TCM because they were deeply affected by the concepts and cultural foundation of this therapy that have been passed on intergenerationally. They usually visited TCM physicians through referrals by other patients with breast cancer or friends who were also physicians and often sought treatment at a TCM outpatient clinic, of which therapeutic effect was evaluated through their perceived physical and psychological statuses. During communication with a Western medicine physician on their adoption of TCM, most participants considered that Western physicians may not accept or agree with TCM. Unlike said attitudes of Western medicine physicians, this study, through participatory observation and interviews with participants, discovered that some TCM physicians asked their participants to provide reports of Western medicine treatment and examination they received as a reference for the prescription of TCM treatment. However, such integration and communication between the two medicines were initiated by patients instead of physicians.

並列關鍵字

Traditional Chinese medicine ； breast cancer ； Traditional Chinese medicine physician