Don’t fall prey to negativity: Cancer survivors

Nagpur: “Accept cancer as a challenge and not fall prey to negativity propagated by people around you. Also don’t deviate from the allopathic treatment, be it surgery, chemotherapy or radiation as other therapies don’t help. Remember breast cancer if detected in stage I and II is completely treatable.” This is what emerged from a discussion of breast cancer support group on Saturday at a programme organized by Sadhana Trust run by Dr Ajay Mehta and Dr Suchitra Mehta.
Sunita Dubey was detected with breast cancer about three months back. Most persons around her discouraged her. Some created fear of death while others suggested to try other forms of medicine and not opt for breast removal. “But I didn’t fall prey to any negativity. I accepted it as a challenge. It instilled confidence in me. I only concentrated on what my doctors said. And here I am hail and hearty,” she said.
Supporting her voice was Archana Das who was detected with breast cancer in 2008. “I was detected very early and hence it didn’t require breast removal. Removing the lump was enough. In fact during my treatment my husband died. But during the same period I was proposed by a friend and I remarried. We are living a good life now,” she said.
The third, Kunda Pachunde, another breast cancer survivor after coming out of the disease did something no one else could dream off. She did her PhD in the subject. Bharati Gularkar is under treatment and yet has no fears of death and is counselling new patients detected with disease.
Dr Ajay Mehta earlier said that breast cancer was increasing rampantly, especially in younger women. 25% of all cancers in women are breast cancers. “Every woman above 40 years must get mammography test done annually,” he said. In India the irony is that 75% women are detected with disease in II and IV stage whereas in west they are detected in zero stage and that too after the age of 50-60,” he said. Dr Suchitra Mehta appreciating the support group and its need said, “Counselling is more useful when it comes from a fellow patient and survivor rather than doctor.”
As a part of the breast cancer awareness month RST Regional Cancer Hospital organized an awareness programme on Saturday. All major organizations of different specialities of medicine like surgery, obstetrics and gynaecology, etc participated in the programme.
Indian Medical Association president and secretary Dr Ajay Kate and Dr Sarita Ugemughe were also present. Oncosurgeon of RST Dr Prafulla Chahande explained that there are three ways of diagnosing breast cancer — mammography, self breast examination and biopsy. The treatment is also of three types. It could be just surgery and may be limited to breast removal, a combination of surgery and radiation or a combination of radiation, chemotherapy and palliative care in late diagnosed patients.
From the hospital director Dr Pankaj Chowdhary, deputy director Dr BK Sharma, Dr Anjali Kolhe, Dr DP Sengupta, Rashmi Raut, Dr Mahesh Kriplani and Ashok Kriplani were present in the programme.
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