Meaning of liver cancer and gaps in knowledge among Hmong women and men

Background: The Hmong in the U.S. have high rates of chronic hepatitis B and very low knowledge of liver cancer. Lack of awareness about the prevention of liver cancer may lead to late stage cancer diagnosis. In addition, little is known about the Hmong's cultural concepts of liver cancer. Objective: The objectives of this study were to explore Hmong women and men's beliefs about liver cancer and understand their knowledge about the causes and symptoms of liver cancer and experiences with the illness. Methods: We collected qualitative and quantitative data from Hmong living in Oregon. Data from 17 key informant and 83 in-depth interviews were analyzed. Results: Qualitative results show that Hmong in Oregon have very low knowledge of liver cancer. Participants commonly cited alcohol, smoking, and environmental factors as causes of liver cancer, but most participants did not know what the causes and symptoms of liver cancer were. Furthermore, participants tended to have fatalistic beliefs about liver cancer, such as it signifies death and incurable disease. Participants also discussed the experiences of family and friends who had liver cancer, and their understanding of Western medical and traditional hepatitis B and liver cancer treatment. Discussion: Results from this study highlights the need for liver cancer prevention for the Hmong. Understanding Hmong beliefs about liver cancer is important in developing culturally tailored liver cancer prevention information and programs for this population.