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Toward an Understanding of Cancer as an Issue of Social Justice : Perspectives and Implications for Oncology Nursing Horrill, Tara C.; Beck, Scott M.; Wiens, Allison
Abstract
Within the fields of oncology practice and research, cancer has historically been and continues to be understood as primarily biologically produced and physiologically driven. This understanding is rooted in biomedicine, the dominant model of health and illness in the Western world. Yet, there is increasing evidence of inequities in cancer that are influenced by social and structural inequities. In this article, we propose that cancer-related inequities ought to be seen as issues of social justice, and, given nursing’s longstanding commitments to social justice, they ought to be a priority for oncology nurses. Using a social justice lens, we highlight potential social injustices in the form of inequities in cancer outcomes and access to cancer care across the cancer continuum. Our intention is not to provide an exhaustive review of evidence, but to provide our perspective, adding to the dialogue surrounding health equity and cancer while shifting the narrative away from an understanding of cancer inequities as stemming from “lifestyle” and “behavioural” choices. We conclude by exploring the implications of considering cancer inequities as social injustices for nursing practice.
Item Metadata
| Title |
Toward an Understanding of Cancer as an Issue of Social Justice : Perspectives and Implications for Oncology Nursing
|
| Creator | |
| Contributor | |
| Publisher |
Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute
|
| Date Issued |
2025-02-12
|
| Description |
Within the fields of oncology practice and research, cancer has historically been
and continues to be understood as primarily biologically produced and physiologically
driven. This understanding is rooted in biomedicine, the dominant model of health and
illness in the Western world. Yet, there is increasing evidence of inequities in cancer that are
influenced by social and structural inequities. In this article, we propose that cancer-related
inequities ought to be seen as issues of social justice, and, given nursing’s longstanding
commitments to social justice, they ought to be a priority for oncology nurses. Using a
social justice lens, we highlight potential social injustices in the form of inequities in cancer
outcomes and access to cancer care across the cancer continuum. Our intention is not to
provide an exhaustive review of evidence, but to provide our perspective, adding to the
dialogue surrounding health equity and cancer while shifting the narrative away from
an understanding of cancer inequities as stemming from “lifestyle” and “behavioural”
choices. We conclude by exploring the implications of considering cancer inequities as
social injustices for nursing practice.
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| Subject | |
| Genre | |
| Type | |
| Language |
eng
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| Date Available |
2025-04-14
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| Provider |
Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library
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| Rights |
CC BY 4.0
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| DOI |
10.14288/1.0448395
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| URI | |
| Affiliation | |
| Citation |
Current Oncology 32 (2): 104 (2025)
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| Publisher DOI |
10.3390/curroncol32020104
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| Peer Review Status |
Reviewed
|
| Scholarly Level |
Faculty; Researcher
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| Rights URI | |
| Aggregated Source Repository |
DSpace
|
Item Media
Item Citations and Data
Rights
CC BY 4.0