To be, or not to be, that is the question

To be, or not to be, that is the question:

Whether accept the fate and quietly suffer
The Slings and Arrows of unbearable pains,
Or to take Arms against the multiplying cells,
And by opposing  them with anticancer regimes

To be, or not to be, that is the question:

No more hope it is rather late, to say at end
The aches nausea the thousand mental shocks
That is my Flesh burnt by consummation
Devoutly I wished better to die and forever sleep,

To be, or not to be, that is the question:

To sleep, perchance to Dream of remote cure,
For in that sleep of death I see dreams may come,
When I have shuffled off this dreadful curse ,
I must give a pause. There's the hope of life.

To be, or not to be, that is the question:

That makes Calamity of so long life
For who I bear the Whips and Scorns of cyto-toxins,
No one is  wrong, No one is right
But only I have to contemplate my plight

To be, or not to be, that is the question:

No Traveler  returns from the path I tread
The undiscovered country scares me not
Though false hope makes cowards of us all
Oh Lord, It is better to be dead than dying

“It is malignant”, “it has spread”, “there is metastasis”, or just “it is most probably ‘Cancer’”, these are the sentences which puts one in Hamlet’s position.

Hamlet was left to choose between seas of troubles- the slings and arrows, heart-aches and death. He was more worried about what lies ahead of him after he dies.

But for a Cancer patient, the greater worry is what lies ahead of him or her before he or she dies.

I am not against any cancer treatment be it chemotherapy, radio therapy, surgery or alternative medicine.  In my life, I have seen dear ones dying from cancer in spite of attempting the best possible treatments available as per modern science and also as per alternative medicines.

My cousin, age 49 was diagnosed of colon cancer last year. Various investigations showed that the disease had spread to other parts of her body.  A very senior cancer physician, Oncologists from Nanavati Hospital, Vile Parle (W), Mumbai wanted to start chemotherapy and radio therapy immediately.

“How much time you are giving to the patient, doctor?” I asked

“What do you mean?” snapped the doctor.

“How long do you think the patient will live with the treatment, and how long without the treatment?”

And to my surprise, the most distinguished oncologist replied, “six months to a year with treatment and may be six months to one year without.”

For me, doctor’s statement said it all. I brought my cousin home against medical advice. 

There was great hue and cry amongst all relatives on my so called irresponsible action.  All decisions were reconsidered and my cousin started chemotherapy at Raheja Hospital, Mahim, Mumbai.

Six months later, after spending Rs900,000/-, 12 chemotherapy cycles, unimaginable, pain, nausea, loss of all hair and blacking of skin, she died.

My elder sister too died of pancreatic cancer. I shall narrate her story in some other post with different references.

The point I want to raise is: do we get a true picture when we go to our doctor/ hospital for cancer treatment?  Or, are we treated as guinea pigs for the newer molecules or treatments when these doctors and pharmaceutical companies themselves are not sure of what they are doing.

There are many ways to look at this situation. I agree that we cannot just give up and sit helplessly if one is diagnosed as a cancer patient.  At the same time, we must accept the inevitable fact and take proper course of action.

Even the person who is condemned to the gallows is in a better state of mind than a cancer patient. The uncertainty of life, constant fear of inevitable death with false glimmer of cure makes life miserable for the patient and for the persons associated emotionally with the patient.   I honestly feel that many cancer patients undergoing Chemo or radio therapy would agree with me.

“Oh Lord, It is better to be dead than dying”

This will be ongoing topic for many posts to come.

I sincerely invite reactions, criticism and also various experiences from all readers.

In my blog, I want to spread awareness about Symptoms, Causes and Prevention of various cancers.

I have dared to put in my words in Hamlet’s monologue and I hope I shall be pardoned for the same.

Happy Mind Is Healthy Mind

Cancer Prevention & Causes

CANCER PREVENTION

Adopting healthy life style, avoiding exposure to harmful chemicals, pollutants and other carcinogenic agents, and maintaining good physical fitness is very important in cancer prevention. During our lives, we are unwittingly exposed to thousands of chemicals associated with cancer and other illnesses. Many of these are man-made including synthetic chemicals found in everyday consumer products and the environmental pollutants. They should be avoided wherever it is possible.

8 Steps to Prevent Cancer.

· Avoid tobacco use: both active and passive smoking, and chewing tobacco.

· Eat a variety of healthy foods: It is important to consume plant-based foods, rich in fruits and vegetables, and reduce the intake of fats and alcohol.

· Stay active and maintain a healthy weight: Regular exercise should be an integral part of one’s daily routine. Apart from helping to lose weight, being fit seems to have an anti-cancer effect in itself. Researchers recommend 30 minutes of moderate physical exercise – like brisk walking – once a day. And once we're fit, then 30 minutes of vigorous physical activity or 60 minutes of moderate exercise every day.

· Protect yourself from the sun: The incidences of Skin Cancer caused by sun’s radiation are very less in India.

· Get immunized: Vaccination against Hepatitis B should be regularly administered, as this infection could lead to liver cancer.

· Adopt Healthy Sexual Practices: Sexually transmitted diseases like human papilloma virus infection, hepatitis B and HIV can lead to an increased incidence of various cancers.

· Get screened: Regular screening and self-examination for certain cancers helps in early detection of cancer and improves the prognosis.

· Self Examination: Women are advised to conduct monthly breast self-examinations. Men are advised to conduct monthly testicular self-examination.

The major Cancer Causing factors

· Tobacco is the foremost cause of various cancers. In India, roughly two-thirds of all patients with lung cancer were found to be smokers, using cigarettes and/or bidis, hand-rolled tobacco. Of the total reported cancer cases 33% are due to tobacco. Chances of getting Oral Cancer are 27 times more, Laryngeal Cancer 12 times, 3 times Bladder Cancer and 2 times Pancreatic Cancer in smokers as compared with non-smokers.

· Chewing tobacco causes oral cancer, esophageal cancer, and pancreatic cancer.

· Obesity is major cause of cancers of the esophagus, colon and rectum, pancreas, breast, endometrium, and kidneys.

· Alcohol increases the risk for cancers of the mouth, pharynx, larynx, esophagus, colon and rectum, and breast; and also causes cirrhosis, which raises the risk of liver cancer.

· Red meat and processed meat were convincingly linked to colorectal cancer. We need to eat less of it, and instead eat mostly foods of plant origin. Legumes such as beans, lentils and soybeans contain proteins and are very healthy. Fruits protect us against several cancers.

· Harmful chemicals, industrial pollutants, synthetic materials and proved carcinogenic substances should be avoided at all cost.

In spite of adopting a better life style and taking all precautions, if one notices symptoms mentioned before, then the family doctor should be consulted immediately and all investigating tests and screening must be carried out immediately to have early detection and treatment. Modifying our lifestyle will reduce our chances of cancer by up to a third.

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Happy Mind Is Healthy Mind

Cancer : Together we Can!!

This is my humble effort to create awareness and willingness to fight cancer.
I have planned my line of action as follows. (I need help from everybody.)

1.  I am circulating the information about Cancer Symptoms, Causes and Prevention to as many readers as possible. I have complied this information with help of Cancer specialists, a retired WHO Preventive Medicine Physician and from search engines. For conveying this information I am using this Blog, Social media and email campaigns.
2. I am distributing hard copies of this information to people who I come across, even at traffic signals, railway stations, airport waiting lounges and residential societies.
3. I want to translate this information into all Indian regional languages . For this I need assistance.

I do not want this blog/information to be a simple extract of internet information but I want visitors of the blog to add in their experiences, comments and suggestions.

Cancer affects every life. Every person has some fear of facing cancer in their life. The impact of cancer is far greater than mere numbers. Its diagnosis causes immense emotional trauma and its treatment a major economical burden. This disease is associated with a lot of fear and despair in India.

CANCER

Cancer is a term used to describe different types of diseases involving uncontrolled cellular growth leading to invasion and destruction of other tissues in the body. Cancer prevalence in India is estimated to be around 2.5 million, with over 2500 new cases and 1500 deaths occurring daily due to this disease.

More than 70% of the cases report for diagnostic and treatment services in the advanced stages of the disease, which has led to a poor survival and high mortality rate.

Early detection of this disease can improve survival chances by a great extent.

CANCER SYMPTOMS

      One should never ignore these symptoms as these can help early detection of Cancer.

· Persistent cough or blood-tinged saliva can be bronchitis or sinusitis, but can also be cancer of lung, head or neck. Cough lasting beyond a month or with blood in the mucus needs further investigation.

· A change in bowel habits lasting for more than few days can be due to colon cancer, especially if one has pencil-thin stools. Some people with cancer feel as if they need to have a bowel movement, and still feel that way after they have had a bowel movement.

· Blood in the stools is more likely to be because of Hemorrhoids but can also be due to rectal cancer.

· Anemia can be due to many underlying causes but unexplained anemia needs further investigation, as it can be due to bowel cancer which causes iron deficiency.

· All Breast lumps must be thoroughly investigated.

· Lumps in the Testicles, Most men (90%) with Cancer of testicles have a painless or uncomfortable lump on a testicle. Some men have an enlarged testicle. Other conditions such as infections and swollen veins can also cause changes in your testicles, but any lump should be evaluated.

· Changes in urination such as frequent urination, small amounts of urine and slow urine flow. These symptoms may signal Prostate Cancer. Cancer of the bladder and pelvic tumors can also cause irritation of the bladder and increase urination frequency.

· Blood in Urine can be urinary infection or kidney stone, but also can be due to cancer of bladder.

· Hoarseness lasting for more than 3-4 weeks can be due to Cancer of throat

· Persistent lumps or swollen glands lasting for more than 3-4 weeks can be due to cancer. Swelling due to infection or other causes will shrink after a week.

· Change in a wart or a mole with irregular edges or one that bleeds may be cancerous.

· Indigestion and difficulty swallowing can be because of many simple causes but difficulty in swallowing solids especially in elderly persons can be cancer of esophagus

· Unusual Vaginal bleeding or discharge, bleeding after intercourse, between periods, bleeding which comes back and lasts for two or more days, and postmenopausal bleeding can be indicative of various cancers of reproductive system and need proper investigation.

· Unexpected weight loss, night sweats or fever can be present with several types of cancers.

· Continued itching in the anal or genital area not relieved by OTC medications can imply Cancer.

· Change in Skin color can be caused by some cancers.

· Non-healing sores in mouth, white or red patches on tongue and gum are likely to be due to cancer.

· Headaches which do not relent to common OTC medications can be due to Cancer.

· Back pain, pelvic pain, bloating, or persistent indigestion can be due to ovarian cancer.

Happy Mind Is Healthy Mind