Catastrophic health expenditure and distress financing of breast cancer treatment in India: evidence from a longitudinal cohort study.

Objective: To estimate the catastrophic health expenditure and distress financing of breast cancer treatment in India.

Methods: The unit data from a longitudinal survey that followed 500 breast cancer patients treated at Tata Memorial Centre (TMC), Mumbai from June 2019 to March 2022 were used. The catastrophic health expenditure (CHE) was estimated using households' capacity to pay and distress financing as selling assets or borrowing loans to meet cost of treatment.

Out-of-pocket payment and financial risk protection for breast cancer treatment: a prospective study from India.

Background: Available data on cost of cancer treatment, out-of-pocket payment and reimbursement are limited in India. We estimated the treatment costs, out-of-pocket payment, and reimbursement in a cohort of breast cancer patients who sought treatment at a publicly funded tertiary cancer care hospital in India.

Methods: A prospective longitudinal study was conducted from June 2019 to March 2022 at Tata Memorial Centre (TMC), Mumbai.

Prospective Study of Incidence and Impact of Comorbidities on Breast Cancer Survival from India.

Purpose: To report comorbidity burden in newly-diagnosed treatment-naïve breast cancer patients and its effect on survival.

Methods: Prospective observational study in which demographic, comorbidity and outcome data from a consecutive cohort of patients diagnosed and treated between September 2019 to September 2021 were collected. Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) score was calculated for all and proportion of each comorbidity was determined at diagnosis (baseline), at conclusion and six-months post-treatment.

Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) Using EQ-5D-5L: Value Set Derived for Indian Breast Cancer Cohort.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to report quality of life of newly diagnosed breast cancer patients from India in a large cohort using the EQ-5D-5L instrument.

Methods: The study used longitudinal data of 500 breast cancer and 200 non-cancer subjects registered at our centre, during June 2019 and March 2022. The EQ-5D-5L and EQ-VAS instruments were used to measure and compare utility scores among cancer and non-cancer subjects.

Socio-economic variations of breast cancer treatment and discontinuation: a study from a public tertiary cancer hospital in Mumbai, India.

Background: The study examined the socio-economic variation of breast cancer treatment and treatment discontinuation due to deaths and financial crisis.

Methods: We used primary data of 500 patients with breast cancer sought treatment at India's one of the largest cancer hospital in Mumbai, between June 2019 and March 2022. This study is registered on the Clinical Trial Registry of India (CTRI/2019/07/020142).

Chronic diseases and productivity loss among middle-aged and elderly in India.

Context: Chronic diseases are growing in India and largely affecting the middle-aged and elderly population; many of them are in working age. Though a large number of studies estimated the out-of-pocket payment and financial catastrophe due to this condition, there are no nationally representative studies on productivity loss due to health problems. This paper examined the pattern and prevalence of productivity loss, due to chronic diseases among middle-aged and elderly in India.

Socio-economic and regional variation in breast and cervical cancer screening among Indian women of reproductive age: a study from National Family Health Survey, 2019-21.

Background: In India, breast and cervical cancers account for two-fifths of all cancers and are predominantly prevalent among women in the reproductive age group. The Government of India recommended screening of breast and cervical cancer among women aged 30 years and over. This study examines the socio-economic and regional variations of breast and cervical screening among Indian women in the reproductive age.

Decadal change in the association between the status of young mother's Body Mass Index and anaemia with child low birth weight in India.

Background: The study aims to investigate the changes in the socio-economic and demographic status of young mothers of age 15-24 years and to examine the association between mothers' nutrition, i.e., Body Mass Index (BMI) and anaemia with child low birth weight for almost two decades during 1998-2016 in India.

Economic Distress of Breast Cancer Patients Seeking Treatment at a Tertiary Cancer Center in Mumbai during COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cohort Study.

Background: Cancer treatment during nationwide lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic has posed several challenges in the delivery of cancer care and carries tremendous potential sequel of impoverishing the households. This study aims to examine the economic distress faced by breast cancer patients receiving treatment at Tata Memorial Center (TMC) Mumbai, India during the nationwide lockdown initiated in March 2020 following the outbreak of COVID-19.

Methods: A total of 138 non-metastatic breast cancer patients who were accrued in this study at TMC before imposing of lockdown, and their treatment was impacted because of the COVID-19 outbreak, were interviewed.

Understanding equity of institutional delivery in public health centre by level of care in India: an assessment using benefit incidence analysis.

Background: The National Health Mission (NHM), the largest ever publicly funded health programme worldwide, used over half of the national health budget in India and primarily aimed to improve maternal and child health in the country. Though large scale public health investment has improved the health care utilization and health outcomes across states and socio-economic groups in India, little is known on the equity concern of NHM. In this context, this paper examines the utilization pattern and net benefit of public subsidy for institutional delivery by the level of care in India.

Unintended effects of Janani Suraksha Yojana on maternal care in India.

Background: The Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY) is the largest ever conditional cash transfer programme worldwide. It primarily aimed to reduce the maternal and child mortality by increasing the facility based delivery in India. Besides, the JSY has resulted in reduction of out-of-pocket expenditure for delivery care and increased antenatal care.

Malnutrition and anaemia among adult women in India.

The latest National Family Health Survey conducted in 2015-16 (NFHS-4) showed that malnutrition and anaemia still pose huge health challenges in India. Data on 651,642 adult non-pregnant women aged 15-49 years were taken from the survey to study the nutritional and anaemia statuses of adult women by Indian zone and state. The relationships of these two variables with the women's urban/rural place of residence, education level, religion and eating habits, and wealth index of the family, were assessed.