Elijah Murara2025-01-232025-01-232025-01-23https://dspace.ughe.org/handle/123456789/54Background: Worldwide, blood malignancies account for 10% of cancer cases. Early detection and treatment increase the survival rate for cancer patients. The symptoms of blood malignancies include weight loss, loss of appetite, and feeling weak. This makes it difficult for healthcare providers at health center level to detect and refer patients early. Butaro Cancer Center of Excellence(BCCOE) provides diagnosis and treatment services for cancer. This study aimed to explore experiences and initial health-seeking behaviors of patients with blood malignancies at BCCOE who sought care from a traditional healer for the same illness. Methods: A qualitative phenomenological study was conducted. In-depth interviews were conducted with patients with blood malignancies at BCCOE. Thematic analysis was used todevelop themes. Results: Twelve respondents were interviewed. Our results highlighted five themes that depict the experiences for patients with blood malignancies and health-seeking behaviors. 1) Accessibility barriers to health facilities and healthcare services push patients with blood malignancies to seek care from traditional healers 2). The care-seeking pattern is influenced by the nature of the illness, beliefs, community, family, and friends 3) Frequent visits to health facilities and misdiagnosis lead patients with blood malignancies to seek care from traditional healers. 4) Seeking care concurrently from traditional healers and conventional medicine delays diagnosis and treatment. 5. Patients with blood malignancies seek care from conventional medicine after realizing that traditional healers are unable to treat their illness. Conclusion: The findings of this study highlight important changes needed to improve health outcomes for patients with blood malignancies at BCCOE. Patients highlighted system barriers, reasons they sought care from traditional healers, and factors influencing health-seeking behaviors. Therefore, it is critical to consider training healthcare providers at the health center on the symptoms for blood malignancies and collaboration between traditional healers and medical professionals to improve cancer care.enBlood CancerHealth Seeking BehaviorsCancerRwandaEast AfricaButaroAfricatext::thesis