[A study of the social representations in chemotherapy: a way to analyse the relations between patients and oncologists]

Bull Cancer. 2004 Mar;91(3):279-84.
[Article in French]

Abstract

This research aims to study social representations throughout chemiotherapy, out of a population composed of doctors specialized in Oncology on one hand, and patients dealing with cancer during their chemiotherapy on the other hand. Our methodology is situated among quantitative methods using SPSS for Anovas to analyze statistics datas, EVOQ and Alceste for the pragmatic analysis of the discourse. The datas were collected from a questionnaire including items and words associations. We were interested in chemiotherapy which appears as a social object likely to generate a representative process from which emerges a serie of adaptative strategies belonging to both cognitivo-behaviourism and emotional spheres. chemiotherapy leads to an adaptation of the patient and remains a mediator in the doctor-patient's relation. As far as representations are "action guides", the existence of a representation specific to patients and doctors, allowes us to point out, through a semantic and emotional gap a technical medicine which is, in the future, likely to tend to existentialism.

Publication types

  • English Abstract
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Antineoplastic Agents / adverse effects
  • Antineoplastic Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Free Association
  • Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice*
  • Humans
  • Medical Oncology
  • Neoplasms / drug therapy
  • Neoplasms / psychology
  • Physician-Patient Relations
  • Terminology as Topic

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents