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CC BY 4.0 · Indian J Med Paediatr Oncol 2024; 45(03): 271-275
DOI: 10.1055/s-0044-1786968
Oncology Beyond Science

Cancer and Spirituality—Underutilized Resource for Cancer Care in India

Srinivasa R. Murthy
1   Formerly of National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
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Abstract

Living with cancer is a challenge to the individuals and their families. This is a personal perspective of a person living with a diagnosis of cancer for over a decade and as psychiatrist supporting others in a similar situation and their caregivers. The challenges are medical, psychological, social, and spiritual. In the care of persons living with a diagnosis of cancer, there is a need to mobilize all of the resources toward relief and recovery. In the Indian context, to make sense of the uncertainties, spirituality in various forms is harnessed by the patients and their families. Epics and religious stories are routinely used to make sense of the pain, distress, and uncertainties of living with cancer. It is for the caregiving professionals to understand this rich resource in India, and develop ways of maximizing the value of spirituality in the care programs. Systematic study, documentation, and adaptation of the spiritual resources of different religions and communities in the cancer care could be an important Indian contribution to cancer care in the world. Such a development could be similar to the universal acceptance of the value of yoga in the recent years.

Keywords

spirituality - uncertainty - religion - gratitude - culture


Publication History

Article published online:
31 May 2024

© 2024. The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, permitting unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction so long as the original work is properly cited. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

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