Cultural Framings of Cancer: Medical Anthropology on Narrative Intertextuality, Immunotherapeutic Integration, and Neoliberal Resource Conflicts

This medical anthropological study aims to explore the cultural framings of cancer in urban settings, focusing on narrative intertextuality, immunotherapeutic integration, and neoliberal resource conflicts, to understand their impact on health experiences in a globalized context. Through a descriptive synthesis of secondary data—drawn from ethnographic studies, biomedical reviews, and policy reports—it examines how communities in cities like Mumbai, São Paulo, Chicago, and Nairobi construct cancer meanings, integrate biomedical treatments with traditional healing practices, and navigate systemic inequities. The methodology involved selecting peer-reviewed sources from 2000 to 2023 via databases like PubMed and JSTOR, using narrative synthesis and thematic analysis to identify key themes across global North and South urban contexts.Key findings reveal cancer as a contested phenomenon: intertextual narratives frame it as a “divine test” in São Paulo or a “modern affliction” in Nairobi, creating tensions with biomedical approaches like immunotherapy, often seen as foreign. Neoliberal health policies exacerbate resource conflicts, limiting access for low-income groups in Mumbai’s slums and Chicago’s underserved areas. Urban communities show resilience by integrating pluralistic practices—e.g., Ayurveda with chemotherapy in India or spiritual rituals with hospital care in Brazil—though cultural misunderstandings and economic barriers persist. The study advocates for culturally sensitive, equitable interventions, emphasizing bridging biomedical and traditional ontologies through trained providers and policy reforms. Contributing to medical anthropology, it offers interdisciplinary insights into cancer care, providing actionable recommendations—such as subsidizing immunotherapies and employing cultural mediators—to address conflicts and foster integration.