Spirituality in the cancer patient: a way to nurture hope and foster a porous coping with the disease

Abstract

It has begun to take into account aspects of spirituality and / or religiosity (R / E) in the care of patients in recent years. Numerous research papers are addressing this issue. Cancer is a growing disease in Chile and the world. It represents a situation of significant stress from the stage of diagnosis, during the course of the disease and in advanced stages of the disease. Hope is an important and beneficial tool in coping with and adjusting to cancer disease. Currently, in Chile and almost all over the world, the right to receive spiritual or religious care is recognized, which is even more relevant in the face of cancer disease. Spirituality and / or religion affect decision-making in advanced stages of the disease, and influence general aspects of health as well as the quality of life of patients. But spiritual and religious beliefs can also generate discomfort and increase the weight of cancer. This dimension must be taken into account in health care. The principles of spiritual care should be able to be applied in all phases of the sick without independent of the diverse cultures, religious traditions, and types of spirituality. It is important to follow the guidelines on how to achieve quality spiritual care in cancer centers and especially in palliative care.