BENGALURU: As many as 60% of cancer patients suffer from severe emotional distress and need professional psychological support, experts highlighted at a round table discussion on psycho-oncology on Wednesday.
Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao said the government is open to exploring ways to integrate psychosocial support into government hospitals, despite cancer treatment falling under the purview of the medical education department.
The round table -- Integrating Psychosocial Care into Mainstream Cancer Management -- was organised by Healthcare Global Enterprises Ltd (HCG) and the Centre of Psycho-oncology for Education and Research (COPER). Doctors and psychologists emphasised that cancer care must go beyond just physical treatment to include structured emotional and psychological support.
Dr Brindha Sitaram, Group Director of Psycho-oncology Services at HCG and Founder-Director of COPER, said 52% of cancer patients in India suffer from moderate to severe psychological distress, while 40% face mild emotional distress. She also said cancer patients are four times more likely to die by suicide than the general population, and that cancer-related suicides in India have increased by 50% between 1997 and 2020.
The minister said psycho-social care plays a crucial role in helping patients and their families cope with the disease, improving communication with doctors and eventually contributing to better treatment outcomes.
Sharing a personal experience, he said his father had died of Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) when he was 22, and he had seen firsthand the emotional toll the disease takes. He stressed that every hospital should have at least one clinical psychologist.
Health experts proposed that emotional wellbeing be recognised as the “sixth vital sign” in cancer care, in addition to heart rate, respiration, temperature, blood pressure and pain. They called for regular screening for distress, immediate intervention and mandatory training of doctors and care providers to identify psychological needs.