Factors influencing distress in Indian cancer patients.
BACKGROUND
The current study set out to identify distress in cancer patients undergoing curative treatment within India.


METHODS
This study was carried out to measure distress and contributory factors in 103 cancer patients undergoing treatment with curative intent. The patients were interviewed using the Distress Inventory for Cancer (DI-C). The data on social, demographic, clinical, treatment, and follow-up details was collected from case records.


CONCLUSIONS
The distress score for individual respondents ranged from 34 to 90 (mean 62.3). Patients with lower income, those who were single/widowed, or divorced, those living between 150 and 350 km (3-6 h commuting distance) from the cancer centre, presence of pain and patients with advanced tumours at presentation showed higher distress. A higher distress score correlated significantly with patients being lost to follow-up.
Pandey
Manoj
M
Department of Surgical Oncology, Regional Cancer Centre, Trivandrum, India. manojpandey@vsnl.com
Thomas
Bejoy Cherian
BC
Ramdas
Kunnambath
K
Nandamohan
Vasudevanpillai
V
D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D011584:Psychology; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires