Life-threatening diseases such as cancer trigger spiritual distress in patients. Spirituality affects patients’ quality of life and helps them find peace, hope, meaning, and purpose in life, and to cope with the disease. There has been growing attention toward addressing patients’ spiritual needs at both a global and national level. Although India is a land rich in cultural and spiritual heritage, empirical studies on spirituality have not gained adequate consideration. This chapter provides an understanding of spirituality in an Indian context and makes recommendations for delivering spiritual care to cancer patients in India. In the absence of national protocols or guidelines, a two-tiered approach for spiritual history-taking is suggested. It is crucial to educate and train health care professionals for sensitive communications on matters related to spirituality and for integration of spiritual care into oncological care to provide holistic patient care.
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