Opioid Access among Advanced Cancer Patients in Low- and Middle-Income Countries in Asia.

Context: Most cancer-associated pain is experienced in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) due to inequitable access to opioids.

Objective: To determine opioid access as estimated by both patients and providers and to understand patient and facility-level factors influencing access among patients with advanced cancer in LMICs in Asia using the Behavioral Model of Health Services Use.

Methods: The APPROACH cross-sectional study was conducted in seven LMICs in Asia, involving in-depth surveys with providers and advanced cancer patients.

Awareness of and preference for disease prognosis and participation in treatment decisions among advanced cancer patients in Myanmar: Results from the APPROACH study.

Aim: To investigate prognostic awareness, preference for prognostic information, and perceived and preferred roles in decision making among patients with advanced cancer in Myanmar.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was administered at the Yangon General Hospital to stage 4 cancer patients who were at least 21 years old and aware of their cancer diagnosis. Patients were asked questions about their prognosis, participation in treatment decisions, sociodemographic and clinical information.

End of life experiences of patients with advanced cancer in Myanmar: Results from the APPROACH study.

Background: Access to palliative care services is essential for attaining universal health coverage for patients with a terminal cancer. Despite this, many patients with advanced cancer in low-income countries, such as Myanmar, suffer at the end of life (EOL) due to little or no access to palliative care. However, actual evidence on EOL experiences of cancer patients in Myanmar is lacking.