Bridging the gap: the need for community-engaged research on blood cancer self-management experiences among South Asians

Blood cancers, including leukemia, lymphoma, and myeloma, represent a significant burden on global health [1,2].In 2020, hematologic malignancies represented approximately 6.2% of all new cancer diagnoses globally, with an estimated 474,519 cases of leukemia (2.5%), 544,352 cases of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (2.8%), and 176,404 cases of multiple myeloma (0.9%) [2].While substantial advancements have been made in understanding and treating these diseases, disparities in health service use and self-management experiences between ethnic groups remain a prominent concern, particularly among South Asians."South Asian" refers to individuals of Bangladeshi, Indian, Indo-Caribbean, Pakistani, Sri Lankan, Nepali, Bhutanese, and Maldivian descent [3,4].Although unified by geographic origin, South Asians represent a diverse population with variations in the languages they speak, the religions they practice, and the sociocultural norms they hold [5].Given their unique sociocultural context, they also experience barriers to healthcare access, such as language barriers, stigma, cultural and religious beliefs, and gender roles.Therefore, investigating