What Research Approach to Understanding and Analyzing the Perceptions and Practices of Breast Cancer Patients?

Health and illness are intertwined concepts in anthropological studies that require understanding and interpretation, especially when related to chronic and incurable diseases like breast cancer. Patients must adhere to treatment protocols and may also seek other remedies linked to traditional medicine and the community's folk knowledge. Patients can be influenced by social interactions and communication with others, particularly with the advancement of technological and social communication methods. This creates a perception of suffering that may extend beyond the medical concept to interpretations and unknown realms in understanding those perceptions and therapeutic practices of traditional medicine. Keywords: The patient, breast cancer, anthropology, perceptions, traditional medicine.