Surviving the big ‘C’

Subhash Rajta

Cancer survivors do a couple of very important things when they jot down their struggle with the disease. One, they tell the world it’s very much possible to beat and survive the dreaded disease; two, they offer hope and encouragement to those who have just begun their fight with the disease or are in the middle of it. Their experience, the decisions they made, the mistakes they committed... all this illuminates the path of the fellow sufferers.

Winners of Breast Cancer, a collection of real-life stories of and by the cancer patients treated by Dr SM Bose, a former head of surgery at PGI, Chandigarh, too, does quite well on those fronts. As all 16 stories in the book are about the detection and treatment of the same disease, there’s some unavoidable overlapping and monotony. Yet, every story is different in its circumstances, mental make-up of the patient and her support system. As a result, each story has something valuable to offer — in some stories, it’s patient’s fortitude that stands out; in some it’s the lack of awareness and, to some extent, carelessness that make you feel sorry for them; and elsewhere it’s the unflinching support of the family (or the lack of it in at least a couple of cases) that leaves one moved to the core.

Among other things, the book stresses on the need for an open communication between the patient and the doctor. One of the patients was so exasperated with her doctor’s (not Dr Bose) insensitive attitude (he compared removal of breast to paring of nails) and reluctance to communicate that she suggests communication skills should be part of doctor’s training. It’s unlikely anyone will disagree with her!

The book also touches on the seemingly unbridgeable divide between allopathy and other alternative treatments like ayurveda, homeopathy, naturopathy, etc. Dr Bose is categorical in stating that alternative treatments are a waste of time in the fight against cancer.  Patients, he says, lose invaluable time while trying their luck with these methods. Yet, there are thousands who prefer alternative methods, of course with varying outcomes and experience.

Apart from the inspiring stories, Dr Bose runs the readers through the basics of breast cancer, right from the symptoms, treatment, and follow-ups. It’s quite informative. The only issue is, health awareness is poor in India. People pick up such books generally when either they themselves or someone close to them is diagnosed with the disease. Perhaps, that explains why in comparison to the advanced countries, cancer in India is usually detected at a later stage.