Praveen Kumar Marimuthu: Proud to Present Our Work From Medical Oncology Team at CMC Vellore at MASCC25
Praveen Kumar Marimuthu, Assistant Professor of Medical Oncology at Christian Medical College and Hospital, shared a post on X:
“Proud to present our work from Medical Oncology Team at CMC Vellore at MASCC25
Interim results of ‘MIND and MONEY‘
Mentors: Ashish Singh, JENIFER JEBA SUNDARARAJ, Dheeraj Kattula
Can we decrease distress and Financial Toxicity in patients with Stage IV cancer through structured screening + targeted referrals?
- 300 patients screened prospectively
- Interim analysis – 109 adults with advanced breast, lung, or head and neck cancer
- Receiving palliative-intent systemic therapy
- All paying out-of-pocket for care
- A high-risk group for distress, often under-recognized.
We used 3 validated tools:
- NCCN Distress Thermometer
- DASS-21 (Depression, Anxiety, Stress)
- FACIT-COST (Financial toxicity)
- Self-administered forms—QR code, WhatsApp, or paper—with help from residents and clinical assistants.
Prevalence of baseline distress was high across the board:
- Overall distress (DT > 4): 64%
- Stress: 31%
- Anxiety: 41%
- Depression: 45%
- Financial Toxicity: 60%
These aren’t just numbers, they reflect the invisible burden patients .
Targeted referrals were made to:
- Palliative care
- Psychology and psychiatry
- Social workers
- Chaplains
At 3 months:
- Overall distress decrease from 7.6 → 4.7 (p < 0.001)
Biggest improvement in those who followed through on referrals
Those who adhered to referrals showed significant improvement:
- Stress decreased 4.4
- Anxiety decreased 3.5
- Depression decreased 4.7
But financial distress largely persisted, despite intervention, highlighting deep-rooted systemic challenges
Patients with progressive disease showed little improvement in emotional well-being.
This suggests disease control amplifies the benefits of psychosocial support.
Also highlights the need for deeper support during progression.
Key takeaways:
- Screening + referral = measurable relief in distress
- But engagement is everything
- Financial distress persists. Solutions must go beyond hospital walls
What next?
- Integrate distress screening into routine care
- Simplify referral pathways
- Destigmatize asking for help
- Include qualitative insights to capture the human experience
Grateful to our interdisciplinary team at CMC Vellore
Funding: CMC Vellore. We hope this work adds to the global push for compassionate, equitable oncology care.”
More posts featuring Praveen Kumar Marimuthu.
-
Challenging the Status Quo in Colorectal Cancer 2024
December 6-8, 2024
-
ESMO 2024 Congress
September 13-17, 2024
-
ASCO Annual Meeting
May 30 - June 4, 2024
-
Yvonne Award 2024
May 31, 2024
-
OncoThon 2024, Online
Feb. 15, 2024
-
Global Summit on War & Cancer 2023, Online
Dec. 14-16, 2023