'Patients with Cancer are Distressed!' Indian Healthcare Provider Perspectives on Distress Screening and Referrals to Psycho-oncology Services - A Mixed Methods Study.

Objectives: Routine screening for distress is a guideline prescribed by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) to adequately assess distress in a cancer setting. Our centre conducted routine screening but failed to utilize psycho-oncology services. Our aim was to assess the extent of self-reported distress, referrals to psycho-oncology services and healthcare provider perspectives about the existing distress management system and psycho-oncology services.

Managing Lymphedema, Increasing Range of Motion, and Quality of Life through Yoga Therapy among Breast Cancer Survivors: A Systematic Review.

Lymphedema is a common complication of breast cancer treatment. Yoga is a nonconventional and noninvasive intervention that is reported to show beneficial effects in patients with breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL). This study attempted to systematically review the effect of yoga therapy on managing lymphedema, increasing the range of motion (ROM), and quality of life (QOL) among breast cancer survivors.

Can Cancer Diagnosis Help in Quitting Tobacco? Barriers and Enablers to Tobacco Cessation Among Head and Neck Cancer Patients from a Tertiary Cancer Center in South india.

Background: Tobacco use contributes to almost 40% of the cancers in India. Considering the potential threat, many preventive measures have been instigated in the country. However, tobacco cessation for hospitalized cancer patients is an unexplored territory in India.

Quality of Life in Patients With Hypoparathyroidism After Treatment for Thyroid Cancer.

Purpose: Surgical complications such as hypoparathyroidism (HPT) or vocal cord palsy are seldom assessed when the quality of life (QOL) in thyroid cancer patients is investigated. The aim of this study was to measure the QOL difference in thyroid cancer survivors with and without HPT.

Methods: Participants for this analysis were enrolled in 13 countries from a study that pilot-tested a thyroid cancer-specific QOL instrument.

Cervical Cancer Care Continuum in South India: Evidence from a Community-based Screening Program.

In India, cervical cancer screening is conducted at various levels; however, after screening, the adherence to the cancer care continuum is barely understood. This study evaluated a community-based cancer screening program conducted in a rural setting (Tirunelveli and Tuticorin districts) in South India and reviewed the completion of care continuum. In this longitudinal descriptive study involving secondary data collection, data from the case records of 2192 women who were consecutively screened between March 2015 and May 2016 were included.

Call for Systematic Population-Based Cervical Cancer Screening: Findings from Community-Based Screening Camps in Tamil Nadu, India.

Background: In India, systematic cervical cancer screening under the national programme is yet to cover the entire population and therefore opportunistic or camp based approach is commonly practiced screening mode currently. This study presents the proportion of screen-positive women [positive visual inspection of the cervix with acetic acid (VIA) and/or Papanicolaou (Pap) smear results] and its associated factors from a rural community-based cervical cancer screening conducted in a service setting.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study involving record review, data was drawn from free screening camps conducted by a non-governmental organization in two rural districts of Tamil Nadu, India between March 2015 and March 2017.

Open access tools for quality-assured and efficient data entry in a large, state-wide tobacco survey in India.

Background: A large state-wide tobacco survey was conducted using modified version of pretested, globally validated Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) questionnaire in 2015-22016 in Tamil Nadu, India. Due to resource constrains, data collection was carrid out using paper-based questionnaires (unlike the GATS-India, 2009-2010, which used hand-held computer devices) while data entry was done using open access tools. The objective of this paper is to describe the process of data entry and assess its quality assurance and efficiency.

Does Awareness on Tobacco Control Legislations Pertaining to Tobacco Sellers Lead to Compliance? – A Study from Chennai, India.

Background: Tobacco Sellers (TS) are key stake holders in tobacco control and their compliance with the legislation is crucial to achieve the intended outcome. The current study was conducted to assess the awareness of the Cigarette and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA) among TS and their response. Methodology: TS (N=527) were randomly chosen from ten zones of Chennai city.

The EORTC module for quality of life in patients with thyroid cancer: phase III.

The purpose of the study was to pilot-test a questionnaire measuring health-related quality of life (QoL) in thyroid cancer patients to be used with the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) core questionnaire EORTC QLQ-C30. A provisional questionnaire with 47 items was administered to patients treated for thyroid cancer within the last 2 years. Patients were interviewed about time and help needed to complete the questionnaire, and whether they found the items understandable, confusing or annoying.

The ban on smokeless tobacco products is systematically violated in Chennai, India.

Background: India is the world's third largest consumer of tobacco. There are twice as many users of smokeless tobacco products (STPs) as cigarette smokers. The Government of Tamil Nadu has banned the sale of gutkha and pan masala in 2013.

Validation of cancer institute quality of life questionnaire version II for cancer patients in India.

Background: The Quality of Life (QOL) questionnaire version I consisted of 38 items that were validated using 392 patients. The experiences gained through the interaction with the patients during the administration of the questionnaire provided a lot of inputs for the improvization of the tool.

Aim: The current study is aimed at certain modifications of the QOL questionnaire version I and standardization of the same.

Quality of life among younger women with breast cancer: study from a tertiary cancer institute in south India.

Background: The incidence of breast cancer in young patients less than 35 years is less than 1%. The physical and psychosocial morbidity may affect their ability to successfully function in their social roles. Hence we studied the quality of life (QOL) issues in this subset.

Coping preferences of head and neck cancer patients - Indian context.

Background: Cancer is a major health-related stress and demands adequate coping. Patients with head and neck carcinoma (HNC) often face exhaustive and debilitating treatment as well as physical and functional residual effects such as disfigurement, compromised speech, dry mouth and difficulty in swallowing. Understanding how patients cope with these challenges is important in comprehensive care of patients with HNC.

Validation of quality of life questionnaire for patients with cancer--Indian scenario.

Background: Quality of Life (QOL) is an important health outcome measure in oncology. Given the underlying pressure of individual geo-political entities, a universal solution may not be applicable and hence there is a need to develop a regional tool and standardize the same to address the linguistic and socio-cultural factors.

Objective: To standardize a tool to assess the QOL of patients with cancer to suit the Indian scenario.