On World Cancer Day , observed on February 4, Dr Divya Dahiya, professor in department of surgery and head of Endocrine and Breast Surgery Clinic in PGIMER, Chandigarh, says with increase in incidence of breast cancer , there is also need to counsel women for acceptance. Talking about how Dr Divya witnesses their journey, from a breast cancer patient to a survivor, she says, "The first stage, that of acceptance, is the toughest."
With breast cancer having become one of the most diagnosed cancers in women, the medical fraternity is also struggling with flagging spirits of those diagnosed with cancer, which is also a critical challenge of cancer treatment .
"When we first make the cancer diagnosis, we break the news cautiously, sometimes directly to the patient or sometimes through the family," says Dr Divya, adding, "And the first stage, that of acceptance, is very important to go forward in the treatment. No one is mentally prepared for a diagnosis like cancer and often in the case of women, it is crucial to strengthen their support system." In the absence of a psychological counsellor for cancer patients in India, doctors like Dr Divya are assuming that charge too.
"Presently there is no designated counsellor for cancer patients, so I act as the counsellor for patients," she says, adding, "Fortunately, since now we have a clinic for endocrine and breast cancer surgery, we can dedicate more hours till late afternoon for patients. Every cancer patient has to be heard, their doubts cleared and their fears addressed, for a favourable treatment outcome."
The second stage is that of "explaining the treatment of the disease," she says. "And the third stage is of deciding the type of treatment options available for individual patients. For instance, in thyroid cancer, surgery is the gold standard, while in breast cancer, its either surgery, chemo or medication."
While most doctors agree that cancer cannot be preempted with a clean lifestyle, to some extent avoiding risk factors can help. "We advice leading an active life for women diagnosed with breast cancer, to keep themselves engaged and keep doing their routine work either as housewives or officer goers. And family support is very important for patients. So we also have to guide their caregivers and family on how best to support these women."
She adds, "If you are active physically and mentally, you can create good hormones in your body to fight the disease better. However, there is no guarantee that lifestyle modifications can prevent cancer. About 80 percent of cancer is sporadic and environmental factors play a role while only 20 percent are genetic cancers. There has been a significant increase in incidence of breast cancer, with one in every six women in India being diagnosed. Earlier, cervical cancer was the most common but that has been taken over by breast cancer now."