Cancer

One of the many unpleasant aspects of treatment for cancer patients is the adverse effect of having nerve related pain, tingling, altered sensations, etc. This is termed as neuropathy and occurs when the nerves fibers in the body get damaged, inflamed or destroyed during the cancer treatment process. Neuropathy can be managed with the help of physiotherapy and some lifestyle changes. Manali Kamat, a Physiotherapist from Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai provides detailed insight into this…

Rajat Subhra Biswas, 56 years old from Kolkata has lived with multiple myeloma and has even gone through a BMT surgery. He talks about his journey. I was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in September 2018. I am currently in remission. What were the early symptoms? I was experiencing gradual loss of renal function, my creatinine level was steadily increasing alongwith increased leakage of protein in urine. Further, I was experiencing extreme fatigue and regular pigmentation on the skin especially…

Fatigue, often confused with mere weakness, is now recognized as one of the most common symptoms of cancer itself as well as a side-effect of the treatment that a patient goes through. Often underdiagnosed or misdiagnosed, it leads to a distress and affects daily living of the cancer patient. So how does one recognize it and what do we do about it. Sarika Mahajan, senior Physiotherapist with Tata Memorial Hospital helps us unpack this unvalued symptom for both patients and their care providers…

Harvinder Kumar, a 33-year-old farmer from Aligarh, diagnosed with acute promyleocytic leukemia, was brought in a critical state to AIIMS Hospital, Delhi. With timely medical attention, he was given a second lease of life. Read about the teamwork and empathy that enabled his treatment and subsequent recovery and an interview with the attending doctor. In 2019 when Harvinder Kumar, a 33-year-old farmer from Aligarh who was diagnosed with acute promyleocytic leukemia (APL), a rare blood cancer…

When you or a loved one is first diagnosed with cancer, there are a lot of new terms to deal with. There are also a lot of questions about how treatment delivery mechanisms. This article addresses these unanswered questions. You can also refer to the glossary for more information on cancer terminology. If you or your loved one has been through cancer treatment, you may be aware of the various types of medical inserts used by Oncologist for Chemotherapy. Most medicines are injected into the vein…

Usha Jesudasan, a prolific writer of deeply motivational books and articles, affected by polio, diabetes and breast cancer, started using a wheelchair recently after a very active life. On her eighth breast cancer anniversary, she builds hope from her own experience of making each day count and making living worthwhile despite weakening energy. A few days ago I crossed a milestone – the 8th anniversary of surviving breast cancer. Happy as I was to have had all these years cancer free, a shadow…

Alpa Amish Chedda, 45, was diagnosed with stage 3C ovarian cancer in 2019 with a relapse three years later. Here she recounts her experiences with radical surgery, new chemotherapy drugs and the importance of staying positive and hopeful. It all started in early December when I found my stomach bloating. I used to feel uneasy in my abdomen and would experience slight breathlessness. Looking at my bloating tummy, my husband, Amish, would often tease me and would ask me to focus on my workouts. I…

Discovering Hands initiative in India is a project that empowers visually challenged women to find a foothold in the medical world as Medical Tactile Examiners in the area of breast cancer by examining women for early detection and hence a reduction in the mortality rate. Moyna Sen speaks to three organizations NAB India Centre for Blind Women, New Delhi, Enable India, and CyteCare Hospitals as well as the Medical Tactile Examiners to understand how they all came together to make this…

Listen to Dr. Nataraj KS and Dr. Kishore Kumar explain treatment options for Adult Acute Lymphoplastic Leukemia (ALL). Dr. Nataraj KS is Senior Consultant, Hematology, Hemato-Oncology and Bone Marrow Transplantation, Sri Shankara Cancer Hospital, Bengaluru Dr. Kishore Kumar is Senior Consultant Hematogist, Hemato-oncologist and BMT Physician, MIOT Hospital, Chennai.  Dr. Nataraj and Dr. Kishore Kumar answered the following questions in detail.  - What is Leukemia and Acute…

शीबा सुरेश को जैसे ही स्टेज IV एएलके (ALK) म्यूटेशन लंग कैंसर का निदान मिला, उनकी लक्षित चिकित्सा को तुरंत शुरू किया गया। इस लेख में वे बताती हैं कि उनके लिए दवाएं असरदार रहीं और वे खुद को भाग्यशाली मानती हैं कि वे अधिक समय तक जीवित रह सकेंगी। कोच्चि में दिसंबर में मौसम सुहावना होता है। बागवानी के लिए यह सही समय है। मैंने उत्साह से अपने घर के लिए एडेनियम, पेटुनिया, डायनथस और गुलाब के कुछ फूल वाले पौधे खरीदे और कुछ दिनों के लिए उन्हें लगाने और काटने में व्यस्त हो गई। मैंने अपने आप पर ज्यादा जोर…