Lucknow: This Prayagraj family's story is indelibly marked by the shadow of cancer, a legacy that has claimed lives, tested resilience, and forged unbreakable bonds, with a tally of two survivors, five casualties, and one brave warrior still battling the disease.
Anjana Tiwari was shattered when cancer stormed into her life. At 50, she was diagnosed with stage-3 oral cancer, a bombshell that shattered her tranquillity.
Her husband Anurag rushed her to the Tata Memorial Hospital in Mumbai, where a successful surgery marked the beginning of a long, arduous journey. However, the reprieve was short-lived.
Just as Anjana was convalescing, her sister-in-law Rachna received a devastating diagnosis of stage-4 breast cancer during the Covid pandemic. The lockdown imposed an eerie isolation, rendering train travel a risk too great, and taxi drivers uniformly refused their services.
In a testament to unwavering dedication, Rachna's husband Alok drove her to Mumbai. She underwent a mastectomy, a stark reminder of the family's cancer legacy, echoed in the tragic loss of their father-in-law Raja to stage-4 oral cancer in the 70s.
"Cancer has been a part of our family's story. We encourage our family members to know that early detection is key. Don't ignore the signs, no matter how small they may seem," says Anjana.
Just as Anjana and Rachna were grappling with the worst phase of their lives, their elder sister-in-law Usha received her own devastating verdict: stage-4 oral cancer in May 2020. Circumstances conspired against her, with complications and her husband Prakash's spinal surgery forcing a change in plans, and she was admitted to the SRN Hospital in Prayagraj. Though she underwent surgery, a cascade of complications proved insurmountable, and she died on Nov 19, 2020.
Usha's family wasn't unfamiliar with cancer's sting; her brother Pradeep Mishra had fallen to oral cancer in Sept 2018, though he had beaten the disease once before in 1993. Now, their cousin Rakesh, 65, battles prostate cancer at the SRN Hospital.
"Genetic mutations like BRCA1 and BRCA2, as seen in Angelina Jolie's case, can be dominant, increasing breast, ovarian, and colon cancer risk. Medullary thyroid cancer patients with RET gene mutations should be extra cautious, and their family members should consider regular screening and potentially preventive thyroid removal if a mutation is present," says Dr Kaustubh Patel, Ahmedabad's leading head & neck surgical oncologist.
Genetic cancer research is advancing rapidly, with many studies focusing on BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes. Now, tests are also available in India to detect the possibility of genetic cancer, he adds.
The family's history with cancer continued to unfold: Prakash's cousin Shashi had succumbed to blood cancer back in 1995, adding another chapter to the family's ongoing narrative of struggle and loss.
As the family was rebuilding their lives post-pandemic, a new blow struck: Shruti, 30, the vibrant daughter-in-law of Prakash's cousin, was diagnosed with stage-4 nasal cavity cancer in 2022.
Her symptoms, initially dismissed as acute sinusitis, masked a sinister truth, revealed only when it was almost too late. With a young family – two daughters, aged three and one – she was rushed to Mumbai for urgent treatment, but the cancer had advanced too far. She finally succumbed in June 2023.
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