1.Transformation and Breaking of Cancer Metaphyor: Study on Self-narrative of Cancer Patients
Chinese Medical Ethics 2023;36(11):1224-1230
After cancer became the number one public enemy threatening global life and health in the 20th century, it was given various negative metaphors. As cancer mortality rates rise, cancer metaphors gradually spread to various corners of society and cause public panic. In the 1970s, China and the United States each appeared a female cancer survivor, Lin Guo and Susan Sontag. Both of them noticed the dual marginalization faced by cancer patients in China and the United States in social and medical fields during their own cancer and treatment processes. To reverse the situation of cancer patients, they actively engaged in social actions. Their actions not only helped to enhance the subjectivity and initiative of cancer patients, but also downplayed the growing fear of cancer in Chinese and American society at that time due to cancer metaphors. Based on the personal diaries and biographies of Lin Guo and Sontag, this paper elaborated on how these two women transformed and broke the metaphor of cancer in different social cultures and reconstructed the social significance of cancer from their life experiences such as family and upbringing environment, educational and work experiences, cancer and treatment.
2.Research on the construction of a patient narrative community and emotional support in disease narratives
Chinese Medical Ethics 2025;38(6):687-694
Taking the Z Cancer Patient Organization in Beijing as an example, by analyzing the disease narratives of cancer patients, this paper elucidated the construction of a patient narrative community and the operation mechanism of patient emotional support in the patient organization. This study found that firstly, under the advocacy of the group’s anti-cancer philosophy in the patient organization, the shared identity of suffering from cancer and the frequency of participation in organizational activities were the sources of cancer patients becoming cancer friends, establishing narrative connections, and forming emotional relationships. Secondly, the collective narrative activities of “talk therapy” were important mechanisms for constructing a patient narrative community and initiating mutual assistance practices among patients. Thirdly, emotional support was the main practice form of mutual assistance among patients, as well as the alignment of narratives and emotions helped to strengthen the patient narrative community and expand the social solidarity function of the patient organization, thereby forming mutual emotional support between patients and the patient organization. Therefore, the narrative connections and the advocacy of narrative community among patients are crucial, which not only benefits patients in enhancing their social and psychological support, re-adapting to social life, and increasing holistic healing, but also helps to create a better cancer narrative ecology for the whole society, motivating patient organizations to continuously assist cancer patients in overcoming living dilemmas and improving their quality of life.
3.An in vitro study of the effect of iron on measurement of bone mineral density by quantitative CT
Fanping ZENG ; Zifeng HUANG ; Lianjie HU ; Chunyan LI
Journal of Practical Radiology 2024;40(5):821-824,844
Objective To investigate the effect of iron on measurement of bone mineral density(BMD)by quantitative computed tomography(QCT)and to establish a correction equation to exclude the effect of iron by using R2*.Methods A total of 15 water models containing different concentrations of iron were prepared by analyzing pure anhydrous calcium chloride and 100 mg/mL iron dextran injection.Each water model was scanned by CT and MRI under the same conditions,and the CT,QCT BMD and R2*val-ues were measured.The correlation analysis was performed between iron concentration and CT value,and QCT BMD value.Simple linear regression analysis was performed between iron concentration and QCT BMD value,between QCT BMDiron and R2*.Results There was a significant positive correlation between iron concentration and CT value,and QCT BMD value(rCT value=0.994,P<0.001,rQCT BMD=0.993,P<0.001).The simple linear regression equation between iron concentration and QCT BMD value was established:y=2.34x+159(x:iron concentration,y:QCT BMD).The correction equation was:QCT BMDcorrection=QCT BMDmeasurement-0.093 R2*+0.434.Conclusion Under ideal conditions,iron has an effect on measurement of BMD by QCT,and iron reduces the accuracy of measure-ment of BMD by QCT.The effect of iron on measurement of BMD by QCT needs to be corrected by correction equation.