Research funded by RPF "Cancer in Cyprus and its Psychosocial Aspects"
The project is based on questionnaires administered to people suffering with cancer and use the services of the Oncology Center in Nicosia.
Funding Organisation: Cyprus Research Promotion Foundation
Host Organisation: RUBSI
- Project Coordinator: Dr Constantinos Phellas, sociologist
- Research Team: Dr Costas Constantinou, sociologist / medical anthropologist and Christina Loizou, sociologist
Partners:
1. Oncology Center
- Dr Alecos Stamatis, General Director
2. CARI - Cyprus Academic Research Intitute
Dr Maria Karekla, Clinical Psychologist
3. Independent Researcher
- Dr Eleni Tolma, Helath promotion specialist, University of Oklahoma USA
The project has started in January 2009 and is expected to be completed in December 2010
Summary of the project
The modernization of the Cypriot Society and the increasing needs of the citizens render as necessary the understanding of the experiences and the needs of the people with chronic diseases, such as cancer. According to the Partners, in Cyprus there are around 15,000 people living with cancer while at the same time the percentage is increasing. Cancer is the second cause of death in Cypriot society (Bank of Cyprus Oncology Center). The partners recognize that, although we know a lot about the medical and biological aspect of cancer, we know very little on its psycho-social aspect, which is directly associated to the quality of life of the patients and to the course of treatment. For this reason, the scientific investigation of cancer by the social sciences becomes imperative.
This study aims at the following:
a) To constitute the social part of a wider picture of cancer
b) To comprehend and evaluate the needs of people with cancer, in an attempt to improve their living conditions and to enrich the counseling services of the Oncology Center and
c) Through the dissemination of the results, the partners should intervene with concrete policy measures, which will result, to a large degree, from this research project, intending to the decrease of social exclusion, the satisfaction of the needs of people with cancer, their social inclusion, the raising of the public awareness and the training of the medical and paramedical staff.
These aims will be met through the scientific study of people who suffer from the following types of cancer:
1) Lung, 2) prostate, 3) breast, 4) Colon cancer 5) Lymphoma.
This particular categorization will help the researchers understand better the needs that result from the different stages, experiences and frameworks of treatment.
The study will use both quantitative and qualitative research methods for a more thorough investigation of the issue:
a) Pilot interviews with people from the above categories
b) Closed questionnaire administered to people who are already at an advanced stage of the disease and
c) Postal questionnaires to 2000 people from the above categories (400 from each cancer type) and whose illness is not yet advanced
Through the triangulation of the results of these three different research methods we expect to indicate the increasing needs of the people with cancer, elements of social exclusion and the need to implement more effective counseling practices and policies of pycho-social support and social re-inclusion.