Mindfulness and Buddhist principles in oncology: Risks, misconceptions and recommendations for ethical integration.
Chloe Wells, William Van Gordon, Paul Barrows
Journal of psychosocial oncology January 1, 2026 Peer reviewed DOI: 10.1080/07347332.2025.2551625 via PubMed
Summary
Mindfulness-based interventions can help cancer patients cope with psychological distress, but their widespread use in Western medicine raises ethical concerns about cultural appropriation of Buddhist wisdom. This paper argues that practitioners should be educated in Buddhist philosophy and transparently communicate the tradition's origins to patients. Recommendations include introducing Buddhist principles ethically and compassionately, emphasizing clinician understanding of "Right Mindfulness" as an ethically informed practice, and using shared decision-making and trauma-informed adaptations that respect the cultural and philosophical depth of mindfulness.
Study at a glance
| Design | theoretical or philosophical paper |
|---|---|
| Key finding | Ethical integration of Buddhist-informed mindfulness in oncology requires clinician education on Buddhist philosophy and transparent communication with patients to avoid cultural appropriation. |
Abstract
Mindfulness-based interventions are gaining recognition as effective therapeutic tools for psychological distress in oncology. However, the widespread adoption of mindfulness in Western clinical contexts has raised ethical and philosophical concerns, particularly regarding the Westernisation and cultural appropriation of Buddhist wisdom. This paper examines the ethical implications of employing Buddhist-informed mindfulness in cancer care, focusing on issues affecting patients, practitioners, and researchers. We propose modifications to Westernised MBIs to ensure practitioners are knowledgeable about Buddhist philosophy and equipped to communicate the tradition's origins transparently to oncology patients. Recommendations include ethically and compassionately introducing Buddhist principles into oncology treatment, emphasising clinician education on the philosophical foundations of mindfulness, especially "Right Mindfulness." By fostering understanding that mindfulness is a long-standing ethically informed practice, practitioners can better support patients in addressing existential questions. We advocate for shared decision-making and trauma-informed adaptations, while respecting the cultural origins and philosophical depth of this ancient practice.