Morbidity Profile of Patients Attended Siddha Cancer Special OPD of Arignar Anna Government Hospital of Indian Medicine, Chennai: A Cross Sectional Study

Background As recommended by World Health Organization, Traditional and Complementary Medicines should be mainstreamed to manage and prevent chronic diseases, one such deadly chronic disease is Cancer. Hence, this study was done with the objective to showcase the vital role of Siddha medicine in oncology by reporting the morbidity profile of patients attended Siddha Cancer Special OPD (SCS-OPD) of Arignar Anna Government Hospital of Indian Medicine, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. Materials and Methods This study is a retrospective cross-sectional study conducted among the cases who attended SCS-OPD from January to April of 2024. Data on socio-demographic details like age, gender, education, occupation and clinical profile were collected from the medical records already maintained in SCS-OPD. Collected data were summarized and presented as frequencies and proportions. Results Of 504 cases who attended the SCS-OPD during the study period, 105 cases were newly reported and the remaining were revisited cases. Among them, a greater number of cases were above 50 years of age with female preponderance. Breast cancer accounting for 21.9% of all cases, followed by mouth (9.52%), lung (9.52%) and other unspecified category (9.52%). 18.09% of patients had metastasis during their first visit. In terms of past treatment, 43.81% of patients didn’t underwent any therapies before attending SCS-OPD. 24.7% patients were seeking Palliative care. Conclusion This study provides valuable insights into the cancer patient population at SCS-OPD, emphasizing demographic patterns, educational and occupational backgrounds, geographic distribution, dietary habits, personal behavior, and co-morbidities. These findings suggest the need for targeted interventions, improved early detection, expanded geographic outreach, and continued exploration of Siddha treatments in comprehensive cancer care strategies.