{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,29]],"date-time":"2026-09-29T01:05:42Z","timestamp":1790643942839,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":44,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"6","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,6,12]],"date-time":"2024-06-12T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1718150400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/100006511","name":"Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","id":[{"id":"10.13039\/100006511","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/100019274","name":"National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["K08 MH124459"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["K08 MH124459"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/100019274","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/100000072","name":"National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["K01 DE030916"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["K01 DE030916"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/100000072","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.plosglobalpublichealth.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLOS Glob Public Health"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Cancer stigma presents a critical barrier to care seeking, contributing to delayed presentation and poor cancer outcomes worldwide. The burden of cancer in Tanzania is on the rise, with cancer being the third-leading cause of death in the country. Despite rising incidence and poor outcomes of cancer, cancer-related stigma interventions have received low prioritization. There is a need for sound research that focuses on understanding attitudes driving stigma, its impact on care-seeking and treatment adherence, and intervention models to reduce stigma. We used a cross-sectional qualitative study design. We administered three open-ended qualitative questions to 140 adults newly diagnosed with cancer in Moshi, Tanzania. The questions explored common attitudes toward people with cancer, the perceived impact of cancer-related stigma on care engagement, and ideas for reducing cancer stigma. Patients were recruited during routine appointments at the Cancer Center at Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Center. Data were analyzed using a team-based, applied thematic approach and NVivo 12 software. All participants described stigma as a significant challenge for treatment and receiving support from their social networks. Perceptions of financial burden, misconceptions about cancer, such as the belief that it is contagious, and fear of death, were common attitudes driving cancer stigma. Most participants feared that symptoms would prevent them from being able to work and that the cost of cancer care would drive away loved ones. Stigma was not a ubiquitous response, as some participants reported increased care and social support from family members after a cancer diagnosis. Experiences of stigma contributed to feelings of shame, fear of burdening the family, reduced resources to access treatment, and disengagement from care. Common substitutes to medical therapies included religious interventions and traditional medicine, perceived as less expensive and less stigmatizing. Many participants felt they would benefit from improved financial support, professional counseling, and education for families and communities to reduce stigmatizing attitudes and enhance social support. There is a need for intervention studies focused on improving cancer literacy, community advocacy to reduce cancer stigma, and increasing emotional and practical support for people with cancer and their families. There is also a clear need for policy efforts to make cancer care more affordable and accessible to reduce the financial burden on patients and families.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pgph.0003283","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,6,12]],"date-time":"2024-06-12T17:24:06Z","timestamp":1718213046000},"page":"e0003283","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pgph.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":9,"title":["\u201cLet him die. He caused it\u201d: A qualitative study on cancer stigma in Tanzania"],"prefix":"10.1371","volume":"4","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0006-2026-8057","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Judith M.","family":"Mwobobia","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2986-1579","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Brandon A.","family":"Knettel","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2058-4467","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Jennifer","family":"Headley","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2352-3520","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Elizabeth F.","family":"Msoka","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Clotilda S.","family":"Tarimo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0003-4901-8551","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Victor","family":"Katiti","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Erika","family":"Juhlin","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1390-9753","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Nosayaba","family":"Osazuwa-Peters","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"340","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,6,12]]},"reference":[{"key":"pgph.0003283.ref001","article-title":"Mapping Cancer in Africa: A Comprehensive and Comparable Characterization of 34 Cancer Types Using Estimates From GLOBOCAN 2020","author":"R Sharma","journal-title":"Frontiers in Public Health"},{"key":"pgph.0003283.ref002","article-title":"Cancer in Africa: The Untold Story","author":"Y Hamdi","year":"2021","journal-title":"Front Oncol"},{"issue":"1","key":"pgph.0003283.ref003","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"197","DOI":"10.1186\/s13045-021-01213-z","article-title":"Global, regional, and national cancer incidence and death for 29 cancer groups in 2019 and trends analysis of the global cancer burden, 1990\u20132019","volume":"14","author":"L Lin","year":"2021","journal-title":"J Hematol Oncol"},{"issue":"9","key":"pgph.0003283.ref004","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"760","DOI":"10.1093\/oncolo\/oyac109","article-title":"Unmet Needs in Oncology Clinical Research and Treatment in Africa: Focus on Ghana","volume":"27","author":"LR Roberts","year":"2022","journal-title":"Oncologist"},{"key":"pgph.0003283.ref005","article-title":"Research priorities for social inequalities in cancer in sub-Saharan Africa","author":"V McCormack","journal-title":"In: Vaccarella SReducing social inequalities in cancer: evidence and priorities for research [Internet]. 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