October is observed as ‘Breast Cancer Awareness’ month worldwide. Last week, I was interviewed by Zee Kannada News, a Kannada television channel. The interview covers the diverse aspects of breast cancer treatment – including risk factors, diagnosis, comprehensive treatment in the current era and the importance during treatment of addressing all aspects – mental, emotional, … Read more
This week, my hospital organized a cancer survivors’ event, showcasing people from different walks of life who have overcome their illness. The event titled “The Power To Heal” honored our cancer survivors, many of whom shared their inspiring stories, in a bid to motivate others in their situation. It was well received by the public … 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
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
Note by Dr Suraj Manjunath : This is a guest post by Haripriya Suraj. Haripriya is a wellness practitioner, author, and early childhood educator. As my better half, she has been my source of support and inspiration through our years together. In this post, she shares insights from a walk with a friend who is … Read more
