Introduction
Cancer has been viewed as a disease of the west, however the rising incidence is slowly changing this perception.
Stigma has been defined as a set of negative and often unfair beliefs that a society or a group of people have about something.
Lack of awareness, poor screening facilities and financial constraints affect treatment outcomes. Cancer stigma is one more variable that impacts health seeking behaviours and disease outcomes.
The study was aimed at understanding stigma and cultural nuances of patients and the role they play in treatment decisions and mental health.
Methods
A mixed-method study was employed, a list of stigmas was finalized after detailed discussions with patients/survivors, caregivers, mental health professionals and oncologists. A survey questionnaire was administered during the annual Indian Breast Cancer Survivors Conference, Oct 2024. The survey had 4 sections, demographics, stigmas , Dr. Becks Anxiety and depression scale. A semi structure interview of random patients / survivors was conducted.
Results
Out of 108 surveyed, the median age was 50 years (23.5 - 78.5). The median years of survival was 4 years. Demographics such as occupation, education, involvement in treatment decisions, and involvement of family in patient care was collected. 76.85% experienced some sort of stigma. 19.44% experienced anxiety and 22.2% experienced moderate to severe depression. The most common stigma was about health screening behaviours, 46.29 patients felt that people avoided health screening for fear of being diagnosed with cancer, 29.62% avoided revealing their diagnosis because they would be treated differently. 28.70% experienced social isolation because others believe that cancer can spread from person to person. The interviews substantiated the emotion upheavals these stigmas caused.
Conclusion
Screening awareness programs should include cultural desensitization, and mental health professionals should include stigmas and their impact on mental health during their interactions with patients and caregivers.