Terminologia clínica de diagnósticos da oncologia pediátrica no Guia Beaba do Câncer

Abstract

The dissertation examines the clinical terminology used in pediatric oncology diagnoses presented in the Beaba Cancer Guide (2021), a material developed to facilitate children’s and adolescents’ understanding of medical language during cancer treatment. The study is situated within the field of Textual and Terminological Accessibility (TTA) and health literacy, focusing on the evaluation of the readability and comprehensibility of the terms used in the guide. The central research question concerns the actual accessibility of the entries in the DIAGNOSIS category of the guide for children aged 4 to 12, assessing whether the proposed simplification truly aids comprehension for this age group. The hypothesis is that the lexical and structural complexity of the terms may hinder their readability. The theoretical foundation is based on Textual and Terminological Accessibility (TTA), drawing from Finatto (2022) and Temmerman (2000), who discuss the importance of terminography in clarifying specialized concepts. The research also considers studies on health literacy, particularly those by Mancuso (2008), who emphasizes the role of experience and context in understanding medical information. Additionally, readability and comprehensibility criteria are applied based on Dubay’s (2004) models and the Coleman-Liau and Gunning Fog Index tests, which are used to assess textual complexity. The general objective of the dissertation is to analyze four entries carcinoma, leukemia, lymphoma, and sarcoma—featured in the Beaba Cancer Guide (2021), in order to determine whether they present an adequate level of readability and comprehensibility for children aged 4 to 12. The specific objectives include identifying the entries in the DIAGNOSIS category, organizing these terms based on cancer types (Vieira, 2016), and describing the level of terminological accessibility of the entries by comparing them to the technical definitions provided by the Brazilian National Cancer Institute (INCA). Methodologically, the research combines both qualitative and quantitative approaches, including textual analysis of the guide’s entries and the application of readability metrics. The corpus consists of the four aforementioned entries. The study also takes into account structural and visual aspects of the guide, such as the layout of terms, the use of visual aids, and the presence of supplementary explanations. The study highlights the need for linguistic strategies that balance scientific accuracy with clarity for diverse audiences—especially children facing an oncology diagnosis. Thus, the dissertation underscores the importance of an interdisciplinary approach in the development of educational materials aimed at children and adolescents, contributing to the advancement of health literacy and improving communication between medical professionals and their young patients.