Table 4 Experiences of stigma

1.1 Perceived discrimination

In the interviews, the patients talked about their experiences of being rejected and discriminated against by their families, friends, other patients, colleagues, supervisors and neighbors

Participant 1: “When the cleaner gave back my patient robes, she wore gloves and a face mask, and washed her hands with soap several times. This is discriminating against and detesting me, isn’t it?”

Participant 2: “Because my kids are studying abroad, the company arranged for a colleague to take care of me. But I feel he is afraid of me and always tries to avoid me. Once I saw him secretly asking the head nurse whether the disease was infectious”

Participant 10: “The patient sharing the room with me had gastric carcinoma. I was coughing. He thought my disease was contagious and tried to avoid me. Last time, his granddaughter came to see him. He did not let her enter the room. Later, I underwent chemotherapy with the side effects of nausea and vomiting. He felt uncomfortable and asked to be transferred to another room”

1.2 Social isolation and exclusion

In the process of interacting with others, some of the participants reported feeling excluded, often limiting their social activities

Participant 1: “I won’t go there next time if they treat me badly. During the chemotherapy a lot of hair has fallen out and I don’t feel well. I hardly go out”

Participant 11: “I feel I am isolated from the rest of the world”

Participant 13: “I feel I’m not as good as others because I have lung cancer. Sometimes I feel they exclude me”