Cancer

Dilip Kumar Kanjilal, 77 from Kolkata has fought cancer of the Vocal Chords and emerged a winner. He looks back to recall his struggle which has also reiterated his faith in life. Professionally, I used to be a driver of the long-distance state bus for 30 years. I had the responsibility to take the passengers to their destinations safely and I was good at it. Likewise, when I was attacked by the big C-Cancer, I was not engulfed by fear, tension, agony. I faced it bravely like a warrior. What is…

Cancer stigmas are often barriers for seeking diagnosis, as well as treatment and rehabilitation. Shubha Maudgal and Susmitra Mitra of Cancer Patients Aid Association (CPAA), Mumbai give us an insight into the current taboos surrounding cancer and the challenges such stigmas pose for patients and society. 1. What does cancer stigma entail? There are two kinds of stigma involved with cancer. One is Self which is in the mind of patients themselves, stemming from guilt or shame.  The other is…

Parimal Ghosh, an 80 year old war veteran and now a cancer survivor, relives his experience of battling the condition for 22 years, his emotions and shares what he has learnt from the whole episode. He is now also an active crusader of the Cancer Awareness Campaign. How would you introduce yourself? I fought the Indo-Pak War in 1965, the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971, and am now fighting against Big-C or Cancer since late 1995. Perhaps, it would be best to call me a Fighter Who Lived For…

Specialty palliative care, in contrast to standard oncology care, can provide an extra layer of support for patients with lung cancer and their families. Dr Rajam Iyer, a pulmonologist and strong proponent of palliative care, enumerates its benefits for lung cancer patients. What is palliative care for lung cancer? In India, lung cancer constitutes 6.9 per cent of all new cancer cases and 9.3 per cent of all cancer related deaths in both sexes. At the time of…

Early detection of mouth cancer helped Sanjay Jaiswal minimize postoperative challenges, discomfort and deformities. Here, he recounts his difficult journey and how he worked hard to get back his life. I developed a small ulcer in the mouth when I was 42, sometime in August 2010. It was at the back of my tongue, actually between my tongue, gums and jaw bone. I ignored it initially thinking it to be some kind of a boil. But when it became bothersome I went to an ENT specialist. He gave me some…

There is almost 10 times higher risk of developing head and neck cancers in persons consuming both alcohol and tobacco, warns Dr Shaikh Muzammil, consultant medical oncologist, Hinduja Healthcare Surgical, and advises cutting down on risks to stay protected. Head and neck cancers account for more than 5.5 lakh of the total cancer cases reported in India every year, putting India in the sixth place worldwide. What are main types of head and neck cancers? The most common type of head and neck…

Rebecca D'Souza, clinical psychologist with Nag Foundation, an NGO in Pune working for the welfare of cancer patients, says losing hair due to chemotherapy is one of the biggest fears for women, and suggests ways of dealing with the stress and emotions. Cancer is a much maligned and dreaded disease partly because of the lack of awareness and partly because of our understanding of the disease and its treatment. Lack of awareness is one of the main reasons for late diagnosis and a lack of…

Shilpa Aneja, 34 is a Stage 3 breast cancer survivor from Jaipur and credits her recovery to proper maintenance of a physical exercise routine and an unbeatable attitude and positive mindset. Here, she shares her gutsy life principles, strong commitment to mental and physical health, and immeasurable love for her daughter that helped her combat cancer. Shilpa, please tell us a bit about your diagnosis and the treatment I was diagnosed with stage 3 metastatic breast cancer in November 2016. My…

Children who are out of town patients often miss school for months on end. This affects the child socially and psychologically and often makes reintegration back to school difficult. Dr. Shital Raval visits Canshala which helps bridge that gap by providing continuity of education and normalcy to a child’s life. Set in a Municipal Marathi school in Parel, Canshala is a school for children with cancer, run in collaboration with the Mumbai MCGM. In contrast to the drab exterior, Canshala is a…

Mr Pranab Kumar Basu shares his experience of being the sole caregiver of his wife, who had metastastic colon cancer, and how he succeeded in keeping her mentally strong and cheerful till the end. I have been the sole caregiver for my wife who was suffering from cancer. My wife was under the treatment at the Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai, from July, 2015. She battled for nearly 2 years and 6 months. She finally succumbed to it in October 2017. She was a victim of metastatic colon cancer. The…