CAM Use and Prostate Cancer in African-American Men
This paper examines a 2007 study by Jones, Taylor, and colleagues published in the Oncology Nursing Forum, which investigated the role of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use and cultural beliefs among African-American prostate cancer survivors. Drawing on phenomenological research with 14 survivors, the study found that widespread cultural distrust of healthcare providers drives reliance on CAM modalities — including prayer and traditional herbs — in place of allopathic screening and treatment. The paper discusses the historical and racial context behind African-American men's disproportionately high prostate cancer incidence rates and argues that nurses, as primary patient contacts, must understand and sensitively address CAM use to improve screening participation and health outcomes in this population.
- Introduction: Prostate Cancer Disparities and Cultural Beliefs: Overview of Jones et al. study on CAM and African-American survivors
- Racial Disparities in Prostate Cancer Incidence: Historical and statistical context of racial cancer disparities
- CAM Use, Healthcare Distrust, and Nursing Practice: Nursing interventions to bridge CAM use and allopathic care
- References: Cited sources for the paper
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What makes this paper effective
- Grounds its argument in a specific peer-reviewed study, using direct quotations to anchor analytical claims rather than relying on unsupported assertions.
- Connects historical racial injustice to present-day health disparities, giving the analysis both social and clinical depth.
- Maintains a clear practical focus throughout, culminating in actionable recommendations for registered nurses in clinical settings.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper demonstrates effective use of primary source integration: it consistently pairs quotations from Jones et al. (2007) with interpretive commentary that advances the paper's argument, rather than allowing quotations to stand alone. This technique shows the writer engaging critically with source material while sustaining their own analytical voice.
Structure breakdown
The paper opens with a summary of the Jones et al. study and its key findings, then broadens to place prostate cancer disparities in a historical racial context. The third section synthesizes evidence from multiple studies to build a case for specific nursing interventions. The progression moves logically from research overview to contextual analysis to applied clinical recommendation, giving the essay a clear problem–evidence–solution structure.
Introduction: Prostate Cancer Disparities and Cultural Beliefs
In order to address the higher rates of prostate cancer that have long afflicted the African-American community, a scientific study was conducted in 2007 to gauge the role that cultural traditions — including belief in prayer and approaches to alternative medicine — play in the prevention and treatment of this disease. A group of prominent researchers in the nursing field, headed by Randy A. Jones, PhD, RN, and Ann Gill Taylor, EdD, RN, FAAN, explored links between the beliefs of African-American prostate cancer patients and techniques used by nurses. Their findings were published in a report entitled "Complementary and Alternative Medicine Modality Use and Beliefs Among African-American Prostate Cancer Survivors." This report relied on primarily phenomenological research methods, including live interviews and visits to participants' homes, to study the belief systems of 14 African-American prostate cancer survivors, and found that these cultural attitudes directly and indirectly influence the way members of this racial group think about their personal health.
Jones, Taylor, and their fellow researchers also found that the higher rate of prostate cancer within African-American populations was linked to a widespread cultural distrust of healthcare providers and the use of complementary and alternative modalities (CAMs) of healthcare that this mistrust entails. The authors find that when nurses and doctors "acknowledge that spiritual and religious beliefs are prevalent among African-American men," this acknowledgment "may help healthcare professionals provide a more supportive environment" (Jones et al., 2007). Their report concludes that an appreciation of cultural beliefs on the part of healthcare providers may encourage African-American men to pursue traditional treatment options in addition to less effective alternatives.
Racial Disparities in Prostate Cancer Incidence
In a nation which has known deep racial division throughout its history, the fact that "for decades, African-American men have had the highest prostate cancer incidence rate of any racial/ethnic group in the world" (McIntosh, 1997) is quite alarming, and suggests that the consequences of institutionalized prejudice are felt long after outright bigotry is abolished. The medical community has long been aware that "at 261.9 new cases per 100,000 in 1993, their rate is two-thirds higher than whites and more than twice as high as rates for Asian-Americans" (McIntosh, 1997), and studies like the one conducted by Jones and his team of researchers are designed to test both the reasons for this disparity and the medical practices that can best address it.
By observing that "many African-Americans continue to distrust healthcare providers because of prior and continuing unequal healthcare experiences" in the preface to their report, the researchers provide a pointed reminder that the complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) modalities — including cultural and religious beliefs — which increase the rate of prostate cancer in African-American men are relied upon out of necessity and not negligence (Jones et al., 2007). This reminder is especially relevant considering that the main audience of the medical journal Oncology Nursing Forum consists of the healthcare professionals charged with a most difficult task: caring for existing prostate cancer patients and changing the belief systems of subsequent generations to prevent the disease from affecting one racial group at a disproportionate rate.
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