The psychosocial burden of caring for some Nigerian women with breast cancer and cervical cancer.

In Nigeria, the rising incidence of cancer and the paucity of institutional facilities and specialist man-power implies that the burden of care rests largely on relatives. We assessed the severity of indices of psycho-social and economic burden among relatives of women with breast and cervical cancer; and its relationship with patients' psychosocial distress. Using a burden questionnaire, relatives of 73 women with cancer (41 cervical and 32 breast, mean age of caregivers 35.6 years) were interviewed, in out-patient clinics. While the caregivers admitted high frequency of all indices of 'objective' burden, emotional ties at home and social relationships in the neighbourhood seemed intact, indicating tolerance and lack of social stigma. The financial burden was more problematic than the effect of caring on family routines; and these two factors significantly predicted global rating of burden. The severity of patient's worries and psychopathological symptoms were not significantly correlated with care-giver global rating of burden. The tolerance shown by this group of relatives implies that they have strong potentials for playing useful roles in community care of patients.