Exploring Hmong Shamans' Beliefs on Cancer.
Ya Yambao Yang, Mandy Yang, Nancy Burke
Psycho-Oncology August 2026 DOI: 10.1002/pon.70551 (opens in new tab)
The journal has published a correction to this paper. Read the correction (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Qualitative study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 15 |
| Population | Hmong shamans in the United States, Thailand, and Laos |
| Topics | Shamanism |
| Keywords | Hmong shaman Cancer treatment Cultural practices |
| Key findings | Hmong shamans attributed cancer to both spiritual and physical causes, differed on whether cancer existed before resettlement, and were generally receptive to collaborating with allopathic practitioners. The authors propose that culturally grounded collaboration models be developed to improve cancer care in Hmong communities. |
Abstract
Cancer incidence among Hmong Americans has increased significantly since the early 2000s. Familiarity with and understanding of the disease is low due to limited exposure in countries of origin, lack of terminology, reliance on shamanic healing practices, and restricted access to screening. Health and healing within Hmong culture have been the domain of shamans, whose practices focus on spiritual rather than physical ailments. To understand how Hmong shamans conceptualize cancer, this study explores their beliefs, experiences, and views on collaborating with allopathic practitioners to care for patients. Fifteen Hmong shamans in the United States, Thailand, and Laos participated in semi-structured, in-depth interviews conducted in person or by phone. Interviews were analyzed using inductive and deductive thematic analysis. Four themes emerged from the thematic analysis: beliefs about cancer's existence prior to resettlement, understandings of cancer causation, experiences with diagnosis and treating cancer patients, and perspectives on collaboration with allopathic health practitioners. The findings show that Hmong shamans attribute cancer to both spiritual and physical causes. While their views differ on the historical presence of cancer, there is general receptiveness to collaboration with allopathic practitioners. Future research should examine how culturally grounded models of collaboration between shamans and allopathic practitioners can be developed to improve cancer care within Hmong communities.
Comparable studies
Other qualitative studies on shamanism, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Plantas con madre": plants that teach and guide in the shamanic initiation process in the East-Central Peruvian Amazon. Curanderos, apprentices, and herbalists in East-Central Peru, including Mestizo,... | 2011 | Qualitative study | n = 36 |
| Purging and the body in the therapeutic use of ayahuasca Healers and participants in shamanic tourism contexts of the Peruvian Amazon and... | 2019 | Ethnography with literature review | n = 227 |
| The Globalization of Ayahuasca Shamanism and the Erasure of Indigenous Shamanism Western tourists and indigenous peoples in Iquitos, Peru | 2016 | Ethnography | |
| Shamanism and Rock Art in Far Western North America Historic hunter-gatherer cultures of California and the Great Basin | 1992 | Ethnographic review and analysis | |
| Working with “La Medicina”: Elements of Healing in Contemporary Ayahuasca Rituals Ayahuasqueros and Western participants in shamanic tourism in Iquitos, Peru | 2012 | Ethnography |