‘Spread positive stories about cancer survivors’

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Cancer, the dreaded disease, is enough to strike terror in the minds of the healthiest of us. The fact that anyone is susceptible to the dreaded ailment in these times of pesticide-laced-soft drinks and insecticide-laced-vegetables only makes matters worse. Today, on World Cancer Day we asked oncologists that in spite of medical science’s advancements what still makes the big C a dreaded killer.
Dr Dinesh Singh, Director, Department Of Radiation Oncology, Galaxy Cancer Institute, avers, “If we talk about cure rates in terms of stages of cancer — the chance of a third stage cervical cancer patient’s cure was a mere 25 to 30 per cent when I began practicing 20-years back, today it’s improved to almost 70 per cent. And not just cervical, all cancer cure rates have risen. But still many patients come for treatment in very advanced stages and therein lies the problem. Media has an important role to play in this as well. Positive stories are few and cancer is always used to depict despair; so, the message gets passed on that whosoever is declared a cancer patient is about to die.”
And adding that the reality is not so grim, he says, “We have very advanced technology to cure cancer — techniques that are only available in 30 to 40 per cent hospitals across US. But across India there are very few advanced treatment centres and only when this advancement reaches everybody will the terror reduce.”
Seconds, Dr Arun Kumar Goel, Head of Surgical Oncology at GCI Pushpanjali Crosslay Hospital, “Deep-rooted fear about cancer has been in our mind for years which can’t be easily removed. They know there isn’t a 100 per cent guarantee of curing any cancer patient, hence the element of fear doesn’t disappear.” Suggesting corrective measures to minimise the fear, he says, “Huge amount of education and effort is required. If we say 80 per cent patients are curable in a certain stage of cancer people think only 80 per cent are\is curable.”
“Positive stories have to be floated. Preventive check-ups after the age of 40 are necessary. We can’t wait to take our car to the mechanic on hearing a rickety sound, but don’t see the doctor until we can’t go to office anymore,” says Dr Singh.