Care for terminally ill Oral Cancer patients

Apala Baduni

Ekohum Foundation, India

Abstract

Oral cancer is a major health crisis worldwide; despite the substantial developments made in its treatment, oral cancer remains a source of significant morbidity and mortality. Due to the late diagnosis, most cancers of the oral cavity are rendered untreated, but what after that? Terminally ill cancer patients nearing the end of life faces an array of problems like excruciating pain, difficulty in consuming food, maggots, fungating wounds, etc. Apart from these problems, there are emotional issues like disfigurement, speech problems, emotional and spiritual issues. The answer to it is effective palliative care.Palliative care focuses on living well with a serious illness, it about care than cure. Most oral cancer cases are present in the undeveloped or the developing countries with a lack of hospice and palliative care setting, hence the care should be such that it can be replicated by the caregivers and can be done with fewer resources available.

Biography

Apala Baduni, is an Oral Medicine and Radiologist with a fellowship in Oral Oncology; she is the founder and secretary of Ekohum Foundation working to free the society from oral cancer and its suffering through awareness, early diagnosis and palliative care. Her work has impacted more than 5000 lives in India. She is has published articles in various national and international journals and has been a speaker at various conferences.