Listening to Patient and Caregiver Voices to Anchor Global Cancer Control.

Abstract

The experiences of those living with illness and those who care for them are central to disease control and prevention efforts. The history of public health is full of reminders of when consultations with patients and families helped develop meaningful interventions that were ultimately adopted by communities. Global cancer control, on the other hand, seems to increasingly take place in tertiary hospitals and centers where care is sought often at a late stage of cancer. This essay draws on personal experiences of the authors in working with cancer survivors in southern India and discusses how listening to patient and caregiver voices might guide global cancer control efforts.