Language – a vital pill missing in patients’ treatment: language barriers during cancer care through the eyes of patients and families

Purpose: When serious illness occurs, effective communication is essential but challenged by language barriers. This study explores how patients with limited Danish proficiency and their families experience language barriers during cancer care in two Danish public hospitals. Method: Adopting a phenomenological-hermeneutic approach, the study stresses narratives in understanding participants’ lived experiences. Accordingly, nine qualitative, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 17 informants, including nine patients and eight relatives. The interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Results: Based on analysis, three themes were identified: 1) A history of pain behind the language barrier; 2) Linguistic pain—a feeling of being trapped in mother tongue; and 3) Barriers and pathways to linguistic safety. The findings reveal that painful stories were not only brought into the hospital but continued there. Painful feelings associated with being unable to communicate directly with the healthcare professionals seemed inescapable, but continuity of empathetic care providers, including professional interpreters, increased the well-being of both patients and family members. Conclusion: Language barriers not only make patients more susceptible to misunderstandings and medical errors but amplify experiences of pain during cancer care. The generated knowledge from this study emphasizes language as a foundational element in advancing more equitable cancer care.