Burden and Anxiety among Informal Caregivers of Cancer Patients: Evidence from a Cancer Specialty Hospital, Mumbai, India

Background Informal caregivers of patients with cancer may experience substantial psychological and caregiving burden. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of caregiver burden and anxiety and examine their associations with patient functional status, caregiving support, and treatment-related socioeconomic factors. Methods This study used a cross-sectional design nested within a prospective, non-interventional cohort conducted at a tertiary cancer centre in Mumbai, India. Data were collected through structured interviews with 149 primary informal caregivers during patients’ active treatment. We assessed caregiver burden using the 22-item Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI), anxiety symptoms using the Anxiety Symptoms Questionnaire (ASQ), and patient functional status using the Karnofsky Performance Status (KPS). We examined associations using chi-square tests and logistic regression. Results Overall, 78.5% of caregivers experienced high burden, and 38.3% experienced high anxiety. High burden was more prevalent among caregivers of patients requiring assistance than among those caring for patients requiring minimal or no assistance (90.2% vs. 74.1%). High anxiety was also more prevalent among caregivers of patients requiring assistance (44.2% vs. 31.9%), patients who underwent surgery (52.5% vs. 28.9%), and caregivers without additional support at home (48.2% vs. 32.3%). High caregiver burden remained strongly associated with high anxiety (AOR: 7.60, 95% CI:1.76–32.59), whereas the association between patient functional status and anxiety was no longer statistically significant (AOR: 2.00, 95% CI:0.75–5.20). Higher log-transformed out-of-pocket expenditure was also associated with higher anxiety scores. Conclusions Caregiver burden and anxiety were common among informal caregivers of patients with gastric and pancreatic cancer. Caregiver burden, patient functional status, treatment-related demands, and caregiving support should be considered when developing psychosocial and financial support strategies within cancer care.