Social, Ethical and Treatment Related Problems Faced by Healthcare Workers in the Care of Head and Neck Cancer Patients: A Narrative Review from the Bioethics Consortium from India

Indian J Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2023 May 24;75(4):1-11. doi: 10.1007/s12070-023-03738-w. Online ahead of print.

Abstract

Head and neck cancer (HNC) presents a variety of ethical difficulties for an oncologist involved in screening, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation that are challenging to address, especially for those professionals/people who are not trained in medical ethics. The bioethics department has spent the last ten years compiling information and rating the seriousness of numerous niche ethical concerns and their effects on healthcare professionals practising in India. Based on these findings, the current analysis makes an effort to outline the different challenges faced by oncologists when screening, diagnosing, treating, and rehabilitating people affected with HNC, particularly in a traditional nation like India. According to the authors, this is the first overview to address these issues from an Indian viewpoint, and it represents a small effort to document a crucial but unaddressed component of cancer treatment. It is hoped that these endeavours would aid in educating upcoming healthcare professionals on how to effectively handle the difficulties.

Keywords: Bioethics; Body disfigurement; Breaking bad news; Cancer follow up; Dilemma; End-of-life issues; Geriatric oncology; Head and neck cancer; Rehabilitation.