“It’s like an infection”: carcinophobia in contemporary Russia

Abstract

The article presents the opinions of Russian residents about cancer as well as their concerns related to cancer based on field work conducted from January 2018 to July 2018 in Moscow and the Omsk Region. The texts reflect the concerns and opinions of the respondents on contraction, prevention and treatment of cancer. The field material was collected in the context of general ideas of Russian residents about cancer, the analysis of which demonstrated that the majority of the respondents are afraid to talk about cancer, fear or dislike cancer patients, and are often afraid of getting cancer. The article divides the texts into four sections, each of which corresponds to the forms of carcinophobia identified while working with the respondents. The first section contains the texts that reflect the respondents’ fear of receiving and 315discussing information related to cancer. The second section contains the texts onthe origins of cancer and its danger. The third section contains the respondents’ views on contraction of cancer and transmission of the disease through person-to-person contact. The fourth section contains the idea that cancer is incurable.