Development of protocol for the management of cervical cancer symptoms in resource-constrained developing countries.

Abstract

Cervical cancer is the commonest malignancy of women in economically emerging countries. Patients have distressing symptoms from presentation through follow-up or end of life. Cervical cancer imposes significant burden on health care system due to distressing symptoms and associated loss of quality-adjusted life years (QALY). Multitude of drugs and surgical measures in various combinations can relieve these distressing symptoms and various clinical conditions. The protocols and guidelines for alleviation or relief of symptoms by general pharmacological and surgical measures form an important policy subject in planning cervical cancer management program. These protocol and guidelines are based on the mechanism of action of drugs, extrapolation from management of similar symptoms, and clinical situations arising out of other non-cancerous conditions and experience of health care professionals. Therefore, rigorous evaluation of effectiveness of supportive health care services in developing countries is the need of hour. However, evaluation of such protocol and guidelines are not feasible in emerging economies due to resource constraint. Industrialized affluent nations are also not able to implement and further support care guidelines despite its recognition as an integral part of multidisciplinary management of cancer. Aforementioned factors have created blind spot zone of management purview of cervical cancer. Hence, we attempt to develop protocol for management of adverse events of cervical cancer. Symptoms' and medical conditions' management guidelines evolved on the basis of empirical clinical practice in community and premier oncology centers in resource-constrained developing countries has been presented in this short report. This report should not be an end in itself but has to attract attention of policy-makers, academicians, researchers, and practitioners toward advancing supportive care needs of cancer patients in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC).