ABSTRACT
The role of communication in producing health disparities is well-documented in research from a variety of disciplines (Ashton, et al., 2003; Kreps, 2006; Villagran et al., 2005). One potential source of these disparities is the lack of culturally and linguistically appropriate messages about the cancer-care process (Office of Minority Health [OMH], 2003). Many times Latino cancer patients who enter into the health-care system must overcome unique barriers that arise from cultural and linguistic differences between themselves and their providers (Villagran & Hoffman, 2006). Health-care interactions are then shaped by culturally recognized communicative and behavioral practices of Latino patients that do not necessarily coincide with a biomedical approach to treatment and prevention. In this manner, the dynamic nature of culture in health-care interactions influences communication between patients and providers.
