Attitudes of Hong Kong Medical Students toward Different Modalities of Treatment for Cancer

Abstract

140 medical undergraduates in a Hong Kong medical school rated the usefulness of different modalities of cancer treatment for curative, medically palliative, and psychologically palliative care, respectively. Factor analyses showed that respondents used a Chinese versus non-Chinese cultural framework in conceptualizing modalities of treatment outside the conventional Western medical model. The functions of unconventional modalities were mainly for psychologically palliative care according to the respondents, although they did not regard these modalities as adversive to curative and medically palliative treatments. Among the Western medical modalities, surgery was rated as more useful for curative treatment while chemotherapy and radiotherapy were rated as more useful for symptom control. The implications of the findings for cancer care and further research were discussed.