The Influence Of Religiousness In The Process Of Development Of Cancer

INTRODUCTION: There are positive influences of religious and spiritual beliefs in the face of diseases such as cancer. OBJECTIVE: To analyse the influence of spirituality and religiosity in cancer in the perspective of cancer patients. METHODS: It is a qualitative, descriptive and exploratory research, carried out with 10 patients in cancer treatment, aged between 37 and 75 years. Data were collected through interviews, containing guiding questions about the theme and treated according to the Content Analysis. RESULTS: The results are summarized into three categories: (1) perceptions / conceptions of patients in the discovery of cancer; (2) vision and experience of spirituality / religiosity of cancer patients and (3) the influence of spirituality / religiosity in the treatment of cancer. They were discussed in the light of the relevant literature to the subject. CONCLUSION: Cancer brings a new life meaning for patients. Religion and spirituality have a strong relationship between the disease and faith in the possibilities of healing, which makes the religious coping a stress reduction strategy and improves quality of life of people.