Cancer

Tulsi Chikhal, 34 from Mumbai India on how she took the diagnosis of breast cancer head on, on dealing with chemotherapy, mastectomy and hair loss and side effects of Hormone Replacement Therapy and trekking to Everest Base Camp.    What is your diagnosis? I was diagnosed with Stage 2 Breast Cancer in November of 2016. Tell us about your journey In summer of 2015, one day I felt a hard lump on my right breast. When I told a colleague of mine, she suggested I visit her Gynaecologist…

Dr. Rohini Patil, a gynaecologist and a 17 year breast cancer survivor from Nagpur was shocked at the lack of awareness about breast prosthesis after mastectomy. She decided to do something about it. Tell us a little about how Knitted Knockers Nagpur  came into being. India is seeing an increase in the incidence of cancer, more worrisome is its increase incidence in the younger population. In India 1 in 22 women have a life time risk of getting diagnosed with Breast Cancer, this is…

Cancer pain can be treated and quality of life in a cancer patient can be enhanced by appropriate medications, emphasise Dr Mary Abraham, Pain & Palliative Care Physician, and Dr Vandana V Prakash, Clinical Psychologist. Despite increased attention to cancer pain, it still continues to be a major issue with cancer patients and survivors. Why is it so? There are many reasons why cancer pain is still a major issue with cancer patients and survivors. Firstly, there is a misconception and fear…

Pranay Rangra, 35 from Mumbai, is a Stage 2 Non Hodgkin’s Lymphoma survivor shares the psycho-social aspects of life after cancer, how cancer has changed his life. And his future plans, including making a documentary on South Africa.  We spoke to Pranay Rangra on a wide range of topics during the webinar Living Better After Cancer: Adapting to the New Reality. Here are some of the points we spoke about.  How did you deal with work colleagues and friends visiting I was very clear…

On World Photography Day, we share how photography has provided therapeutic benefit to cancer patients of all ages, helped increased self esteem and self confidence and stimulated emotions and intellect of the visually impaired.  Geetha Paniker, a breast cancer survivor, shares her views on how various forms of creating art, and even photography, can heal both the mind and the body. I truly believe that photography is an incredibly powerful therapy to heal oneself. It is a passion that…

Rima Roy is a young woman of 22 and suffers from a rare condition of Giant Cell Tumors in the Sacram. She shares the emotional toll the diagnosis took on her and how she has come to terms with this rare condition. Describe yourself, Rima I am a warrior in the battlefield of rare disease since I was 19 When were you diagnosed? 19/04/2016. X-ray of the Lumbo- Sacral Spines AP/ LAT views revealed Transitional vertibrae: D12 having rudimentary ribs & L5 sacralized. Then on 14/03/2018 the…

Can colorectal cancer be prevented? Colorectal cancer starts as adenomatous polyps, which relatively remain asymptomatic for a long time. Colorectal cancer can be prevented by regular screening, which can find pre-cancerous polyps. You can take the following steps to reduce your risk: Start getting screened from age 50 if you do not have any known risk factors for colon cancer Start getting screened as early as possible if you have a personal history of polyps, family history of colorectal…

Dipanwita Mukherjee was a small girl when her father Bibhuti Bhusan Chakraverty was diagnosed with throat cancer. This is his story, how he overcame his condition and also how he reached out to many others to alleviate their pain. A recent Bengali film, Kontho, based on Mr Chakraverty’s life and struggles has also brought the story back in focus. When was your father diagnosed with throat cancer? My father, late Bibhuti Bhusan Chakraverty was detected with throat cancer in the year 1972. He was…

Shallu Arora, 46, a proud homemaker with 2 beautiful daughters and currently living with advanced metastatic ovarian cancer, says it is best to reconcile with your situation. What keeps her going are the little pleasures she seeks like spending time with family, digging into noodles and enjoying coffee with friends. Read her heartfelt journey. I cannot be cancer free I know I cannot be cancer free. I know this is my situation. I have to reconcile with it. I am not trying to fight it anymore. As…

An insightful panel discussion with two cancer winners and a Psycho Oncologist who talk about the various aspects of cancer survivorship especially among young adults.   The latest in our ‘Living Better’ series of Live Q&A sessions looks at the psycho-social aspects of young adults who have to deal with cancer. This session covers how cancer re-defines identity, how it affects relationships and friendships, equations at work and perspectives in life. Listen to an insightful and…