Recently the Association of Medical Oncologists of India (AMOI) conducted a meeting to discuss and understand recent developments in the understanding and treatment of cancer of the rectum. I was privileged to be invited in my role as a surgical oncologist to share my views, especially regarding the newer trends in the surgical treatment of … Read more
This article discusses the concept of 5-year survival in cancer, and addresses some common misinterpretations. Early on in my career, I was counseling Mrs T, a woman with stage I breast cancer. I explained the diagnosis and its implications, laid out the plan of treatment and then told her the prognosis – “You have a … Read more
“Doctor, my cancer treatment is complete. Henceforth, what foods should I avoid?” “I had breast cancer. Should I avoid milk?” “Isn’t it better for my father to give up eating meat, now that he has recovered from colon cancer?” “I have stopped eating rice. I eat only millets now” The recurring theme in these very … Read more
In the current era of multi-modal cancer therapy, designing a personalized treatment plan for cancer is challenging. Patients, their families, and oncologists have to contend with a multitude of factors. These factors come under three categories – disease factors, patient factors, and environmental factors. Disease factors: the primary site of cancer, stage at diagnosis, type … Read more
October is observed as the Breast Cancer Awareness month. Across the world, an effort is made to spread awareness about this disease, which is currently the most common cancer in women. This year, our hospital team came up with a unique initiative to educate people about Breast Cancer. We researched the most common questions on … Read more
41-year-old Ravindran had come down to Bangalore from San Francisco for a family visit. When he took his father for an annual health check-up, he thought he may as well get one himself. To his and his family’s surprise, a routine abdominal ultrasound showed that Ravindran had a 4 cm tumor in his right kidney, … Read more
Worldwide statistics indicate that currently two out of every three people diagnosed with cancer will have a long-term cure. Without doubt, cure is the most important outcome in cancer care. Having said that, it is also important to focus on outcomes beyond cure. Consider the following examples of people (names changed), all of whom have … Read more
A little over a century ago, cancer of the rectum was incurable. Not only was the disease fatal, but in later stages, it was often accompanied by profound physical agony and pain, apart from indignity caused by incontinence to stools. In 1907, the English surgeon Ernest Miles described an operation for rectal cancer which removed … Read more
“Can an Ovarian Cancer go away on its own?” Mrs. Shalini was very distressed. She had come in for a consultation because an ultrasound scan done as part of a routine health check-up showed that she had a large ovarian mass. “Doctor, I have been scouring the internet about my condition. I came across a … Read more
