IndexRaceGenderClassReligionCultureConclusionReferencesCancer is the second leading cause of death worldwide and caused over nine million deaths in 2018. This means that approximately one in six deaths is caused by cancer. This disease not only affects those affected by it, but can also have a major impact on the family and friends of cancer patients. Cancer being such a widespread disease has now become a major concern for many people, which has led to the creation of many charitable foundations and increased awareness campaigns in the media. Despite increased awareness, there is still much work to be done to educate people about the disease, as there are still many segments of the population who still have misconceptions and fears about cancer. Over the years cancer has been something that has made people very uncomfortable and scared. Cancer was seen as a hopeless disease with little expectation of survival. Cancer is now increasingly seen as a treatable and manageable disease and has lost some of the negative stigma associated with the disease. Cancer can still be viewed very differently by each person who has the disease or is aware of the risks of the disease for different reasons. This article will discuss some of these different views on cancer based on religious and cultural beliefs, race, class, and gender. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original EssayRaceThere are many differences in how cancer is perceived among different races of people. These different perceptions may influence how these people generally perceive the disease, as well as how they will screen for cancer and seek cancer treatments. One of the biggest differences in perception among different races appears to be the risk factor of getting cancer. This problem seems to have arisen because of the way cancer is treated in the media and portrayed differently for each race. In surveys conducted to measure the perceived risk of getting cancer, nonwhites responded that they are less worried about getting cancer than whites. There are many reasons that can fuel these misconceptions in the media and these differences in perception have a huge impact on mortality rates. Lack of information about the disease, such as risk factors and family history of the disease, could be the reasons that are creating this disparity (Singh & Jemal, 2017). In the past there have not been many portrayals of cancer in the media aimed at non-whites. In magazines such as Ebony, a magazine aimed at African-American women, only 84 articles about cancer were published in a period from 1987 to 1994. Nearly 1,500 advertisements for tobacco products were published in those same years. In contrast, there are many more representations of cancer in media aimed at white people, including print publications and television programs. Differences in education and awareness about the disease have made cancer less of a concern for nonwhites than whites. The white population is much more concerned about cancer and is more diligent about getting cancer screening and being prepared to face cancer head on. This perspective on the part of the white population is partly due to the fact that many view cancer not just as a battle, but as one that can be won. Those who survive the disease are often referred to as those who have beaten cancer, and surviving the disease is a badge of honorof honor. These ideas about the disease are based on more targeted media about cancer information geared towards this demographic. From television to print media that caters to the white market includes much more informative and statistical data on cancer screening, treatments and preventative measures. Gender Cancer culture with respect to gender also contains many differences in how it is presented and perceived by those of different genders. These differences in how the disease presents are mainly due to the fact that the disease can affect the body in so many different ways that there are many classifications of cancer. Different cancer types get different levels of awareness depending on how much effort is put in by the foundations representing each cancer type. One of the most prominent forms of cancer awareness currently is breast cancer. Breast cancer primarily affects women but can also affect men and receives a lot of media attention and has an entire month dedicated to breast cancer awareness. These women with breast cancer are seen as survivors and people rally around them. It became such a sustained awareness campaign that everyone from TV hosts to professional athletes wore pink throughout the month and spoke about their stories and support for those affected by breast cancer. One of the differences in how men and women cope with cancer is their perception of the disease and their gender roles. Many men are less willing to seek help and information about cancer from others because of a strong feeling of needing to be independent or feeling like they have to provide. There are also fears about how cancer will affect them, such as hair loss or physical weakening that could make them feel less masculine. There is also the feeling of having to provide for one's family even in the event of injury and the fear, in the case of cancer, is of not being able to provide for a long period of time. These feelings can lead many men to ignore symptoms or put off screening for fear of finding out they have the disease. In contrast, for women, cancer is still a scary disease, but women are much more likely to get regular checkups and be more proactive about habits that reduce their chances of getting cancer. Most of the portrayal of cancer in the media when it comes to women is geared towards showing how brave women who face cancer are. Furthermore, with gender roles, women were seen as more willing to ask about the disease and more willing to ask for support from their family when facing cancer. The American Cancer Society recently launched an ad campaign that uses more men and talks about how they received support in their battle with cancer. Advertisements like this could help change some of the perceptions men currently have about cancer and the treatment of the disease. Class Socioeconomic positions have a lot to do with how people view cancer and how they pursue treatment. Socioeconomic position creates one of the largest gaps in how patients view cancer and in the survival rates of those with it. This can be attributed to poor lifestyle habits, as well as a lack of healthcare and awareness of the disease in poorer communities. These lifestyle choices and lack of resources can not only increase the risk of cancer for those of lower socioeconomic status, but can also make the road to recovery much more difficultfrom the disease. In areas with populations of low socioeconomic status there may be many misconceptions and falsehoods related to cancer. A large disparity in the lower socioeconomic class is overall cancer awareness. There are misconceptions in lower-class communities, such as thinking that cancer is a death sentence, or not knowing the general symptoms of cancer, which can lead these people to be afraid of undergoing cancer screening or simply do not consider going to the doctor when symptoms occur. In these poorer communities there appears to be a general lack of awareness about cancer which can be attributed to why there is such a higher mortality rate compared to those of a higher socioeconomic position (Health Disparities in Cancer, 2018). The lack of general knowledge about the disease and the lack of resources to prevent and treat it make cancer an even more frightening disease for those living in low-income areas. Another major problem in theseLower socioeconomic areas leading to lower awareness and higher mortality rates is lack of resources. Many of these people living in lower class areas have a much lower level of education and live below the poverty line. Lower-class people do not seek care promptly or may not seek it at all because they cannot afford to take time off work or may not have any health care available to them. The lack of information about cancer can also put perspective on some of the poor lifestyle choices made in these communities (Singh & Jemal, 2017). This has led these areas to have a more negative view of cancer and to feel helpless against the disease. Unfortunately, not much is being done to spread more awareness and improve the availability of healthcare in these areas to change these people's perceptions and help these communities become healthier. Religion Religion can play an important role in how people and their families cope with cancer. It may impact how the disease is diagnosed and treated, as well as possible links to the recovery of cancer patients. Once someone is diagnosed with cancer, there are many life-changing decisions that must be made, and some people make these decisions heavily based on faith. Religion can have a positive or negative impact on cancer treatment and a patient's quality of life. It seems that most religions believe that God is responsible for health, illness, and healing. Many of these people, especially in the Catholic religion, believe that God is also the main source of comfort and hope during the disease process (Jennifer D. Allen, et al., 2014). Many religions also believe that technology and medical treatments are a gift from God and are available sources to use in the battle against cancer. This does not mean that they completely trust the medical providers they use and they need to know that the providers respect their religious beliefs. It is very important that when someone is being treated for cancer, doctors understand and work with patients according to their needs. their religious beliefs. If patients do not trust the doctor treating them, treatment can become much more difficult and stressful for the patient. There are issues that may not seem that important to the hospital and which could be as simple as providing food options for those who require kosher or halal meals, for example which can go a long way in making the patient feel more at homecomfortable and on the front line with the doctors who treat him. In some religions the patient may feel the need to observe fasting or other rituals which may not meet all the regimens recommended by doctors (Nelson, 2017). In these cases, if the doctor does not respect the patient's religious beliefs, the patient may begin to hide behaviors or become completely uncooperative with the doctor. Jehovah's Witnesses, for example, have religious beliefs that prevent them from having any form of treatment that might include blood transfusions. This could potentially prevent them from undergoing some chemotherapies that are too intense on the body without the component of a transfusion, but very necessary for the treatment of the disease. This has led the church to develop relationships with hospitals and communicate what patients' wishes will be regarding care. Hospitals have responded by modifying some treatments so they can be given to Jehovah's Witnesses. Even though the modified treatments are not as effective, they are still better than previous treatments or the lack of necessary treatments that included blood transfusions (Nelson, 2017). They are not the only religion that is looking to build a closer relationship with healthcare providers to help meet the needs of those in their religious denomination. There are also problems in Orthodox Jewish communities that can complicate the situation.patient's cancer treatment after diagnosis. In some cases, Orthodox Jewish followers bring their rabbi to help them consult with doctors to decide on treatments. This stems from the negative stigma associated with cancer in the community. A cancer diagnosis could make someone a less desirable marriage prospect within the community. Even if someone in the family has been diagnosed with cancer, this may affect other family members regarding standing in the community. Religion can also have positive effects on how patients cope with illness and their treatment. When patients are diagnosed with cancer, religious faith can play a huge role in how they deal with the reality of having the disease. These beliefs can influence their reaction to a diagnosis by helping them find center and be more at peace with themselves (Simon, 2015). Religion can also have a positive effect on how patients feel physically during cancer treatment. Many people who have strong spiritual beliefs have been reported to report better physical sensations during cancer treatments. Culture In some cultures, cancer brings with it myths and certain stigmas that can prevent people from receiving appropriate treatments. These myths and stigmas about cancer are mainly caused by the fact that some cultures still lack general awareness and knowledge about cancer and treatments of the disease. This makes it especially difficult for healthcare providers to care for these patients when they have such negative ideas about cancer treatments. Some of these negative stigmas can range from people thinking that if they cut themselves the cancer will spread throughout the body or that undergoing cancer treatment will leave them as less valued people in their communities. In some Middle Eastern countries some types of cancer may be more difficult to treat due to cultural attitudes that hinder cancer diagnosis and treatment. Some cancers, such as cervical or breast cancer, can be more difficult to find and diagnose because these are parts of the body that people in these cultures are not comfortable talking about. In some.