ONCOLOGY IN HEALTH EDUCATION: AN INTEGRATIVE LITERATURE REVIEW

Abstract

The rise in cancer casualties shocks due to its magnitude, and requires, among other actions, that educational practices be deployed to contribute to the promotion of health, prevention and early detection of illnesses. Such practices should be anchored on a broad understanding of health and health education. Objective: to identify – in health studies publications – how health education has been approached in oncology. Method: an integrative review, where data was gathered on the Lilacs and Scielo databases, using the key expressions Education and Cancer, Education and Oncology. Outcomes: 21 papers were selected; The systematized themes were: health education for the prevention and early diagnosis of cancer and health education for self-care. The analyzed papers consider that people are unaware of the actions for the prevention and early detection of cancer, conveyed in the educational interventions aimed for that purpose. Results: Educational practices are important and should come with adequate life conditions which enable the subject to engage in healthy habits that promote health and prevent cancers.