Factors associated with knowledge of diagnosis, prognosis & distress in cancer patients receiving palliative care – A retrospective cohort analysis

Abstract

According to the World Health Organization (WHO) report, cancer is the second leading cause of death globally and was responsible for an estimated 10 million deaths in 2020¹. An estimated number of cancer cases in India for the year 2022 was found to be 14,61,427². In Tamil Nadu (a southern State in India), about 93,536 new cases were registered and 50,841 deaths occurred in 2022^3,4. The higher cancer incidence and poor prognosis in lower- and middle-income countries like India are attributable to lack of education, late diagnosis, inequitable access to affordable curative services leading to financial burden, insufficient policies of the government and lack of awareness about treatment options⁵. There is also substantial variability in the type of treatment available across various states in India⁶.