Supportive care for oral cancer survivors in COVID-19 lockdown

Objective Availability and accessibility to routine health care services for cancer patients were a cause of concern during the COVID-19 pandemic, which induced stringent enforcement of lockdown and social distancing in Sri Lanka. Oral cancer patients who have undergone surgery recently encountered problems such as pain, difficulty in swallowing. However, accessing routine treatment and obtaining medication emerged as the most pressing concerns among them. Therefore, we aimed to provide supportive care for affected oral cancer patients. Methods A rapid situational analysis was conducted among 25-randomly selected oral cancer patients of an ongoing interventional study aimed at improving life situation of oral cancer patients. Results Over-the-phone supportive care tailored to the needs of oral cancer patients, provided by a health professional, deemed a simple but helpful intervention. Conclusions Facilitating patients to navigate the health care system to ensure that they can continue in receiving timely treatment was the most critical aspect of the intervention. Interventions tailored to patients' needs could offer better supportive care for cancer patients in COVID-19 pandemic scenario.