Prácticas relacionadas con el uso de medicinas alternativas mediadas por el territorio frente el afrontamiento familiar en pacientes con cáncer de mama en tres diferentes ciudades de Colombia.

Abstract

The objective of this research was to understand the practices of alternative medicine as a source of family coping mediated by the territory in patients with breast cancer in three different cities of Colombia. For this purpose, two instruments were applied in order to answer the research question. Both tools were used in the two phases of the research; the first one is the application of an in-depth interview through which it was sought to inquire about the practices related to the use of alternative medicine that breast cancer patients have used to cope with the disease. Likewise, the second were the categories of analysis, which allowed to highlight in a vivid way the fundamental elements that are present in the environment of construction of meaning, where the person is the generator and builder of them. Therefore, it was possible to confirm through the results obtained, that people and/or family members affected by breast cancer choose to complement the treatment with alternative practices recognized by their popularity and use in territories such as San José (Guaviare) and Garzón (Huila), which among the most popular practices consist of attending churches, religious collection centers or prayer groups, using animals such as chulo or chucha and medicinal plants such as noni, aloe vera and totumo. In addition, the importance of the family and spirituality to confront the disease in the territories was emphasized. However, in the Bogotá participants, coping tools were evidenced, focused on the use of acupuncture, exercise, yoga, among others, as the main means to reduce levels of stress and pain, given the availability of resources and the particularity of the territory. Likewise, in the villages the culture is more prone to preserve traditions, beliefs and myths that are woven over the years and permeate different generations, in addition to this, access to conventional medical treatments is difficult due to the long distances that exist between specialized medical centers and these populations.