Pranab Basu has been a hands on caregiver for his wife, and has now devoted himself to helping and counselling people suffering from Cancer. He talks about the importance of counselling in Palliative Care.
What is the role of Palliative Care?
World Health Organization defines Palliative Care as "to prevent and relieve suffering by means of early identification and impeccable assessment and treatment of pain and other related problems, physical, psychosocial and spiritual".
The intrinsic value…
Stories
Rita Banik, founder of RACE to Rein in Cancer has been living with cancer for more than 12 years. She reflects on her journey, the ups and downs and what keeps her going as the fear of relapse stays in the mind forever. The milestones and key incidents that come to mind Detected the breast lump in March 2006 Going for FNAC test was the hardest First reaction of relatives was that I was going to die The trauma of losing a breast came almost after a year of surgery First realization of what I…
Cancer patients and their families go through stressful, fearful and anxious times of emotional upheaval. Dancer and Actress Kamalika Guha Thakurta talks to PatientsEngage on how Artscape is using art, music and dance therapy to support healing and psychological rehabilitation of cancer patients and their family caregivers. 1. Tell us a little about Artscape. Artscape is a non-governmental organization established in 2015, which works in the area of mental wellness. We…
The 2018 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded to James P. Allison and Tasuku Honjo for discoveries that have led to new medicines that activate the immune system and drive it to fight cancers. These therapies can defeat even the deadliest malignancies. Two scientists, Professor James P Allison from the US and Professor Tasuku Honjo from Japan, who discovered how to fight cancer using the body's immune system have won the 2018 Nobel Prize for physiology or…
Pranab Kumar Basu has turned a counsellor after being a full-time caregiver to his wife who was suffering from Cancer. He discusses his experiences of supporting cancer patients who are apprehensive about hair loss. In your experience, who suffer more hair loss after chemotherapy: men or women? Hair loss occurs in both men and women but in respect of volume women suffer more hair loss. For whom is it more traumatic: men or women? Is there an age profile that is affected more? It is more…
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…
Dr Rajam Iyer, pulmonologist and palliative care physician, gives us an overview of Nicotine Replacement Therapy, a treatment to help people quit smoking, and strongly recommends its promotion among smokers and the need to test it for smokeless tobacco (bidi) users. What is Nicotine Replacement Therapy? Nicotine replacement therapy is a treatment that smokers can benefit from. As smokers are addicted to the nicotine in cigarettes, that causes physical dependence, NRT helps in controlling the…
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…
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…
