For senior journalist Ravi Prakash (48) who has been battling fourth stage lung cancer for over three years now, there is a new ray of hope. Ranchi based Prakash has been suffering from lung cancer since January 2021 when the disease was detected in the advanced stage

After undergoing 68 sessions of chemotherapy, the next line of treatment as suggested by doctors is CAR T-cell Therapy. Prakash happens to be the sixth patient in the country to receive this treatment and will be treated by Dr. Kumar Prabhash, Professor and HOD of Medical Oncology at Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai and his colleague Professor Dr. Vijay Patil.

“The lung cancer when diagnosed was non- small which has now changed to small cell, thereby limiting the treatment options. The global cost of this treatment is about 4.5 lakh US dollars which is approximately Rs 3.75 crore. It is a blessing for me that Dr Vijay Patil has taken the initiative to do this therapy for me free of cost. The two doctors are an absolute God send for me. It is said that you never know in which form you will find Narayan. I have found Narayan in the form of Dr. Vijay Patil and Dr. Kumar Prabhash,” said Prakash.

Prakash is scheduled to leave for Mumbai to receive the treatment around the fourth week of July and is hoping to return home cancer free in the first week of August.

“In the initial days of the diagnosis Ravi Prakash underwent targeted therapy plus chemotherapy at our centre. It benefitted him a lot and was also cost effective.  His journey has been good till recently and he has tolerated it well. Unfortunately the treatment is not effective anymore and he is exploring other options and that is how he got in touch with Dr. Vijay Patil. In-spite of being a patient himself, he has done phenomenal work for other lung cancer patients. His group Lung Connect India- a lung cancer advocacy group is one of the first of its kind in the country. His journey so far has been phenomenal and very inspiring,” said Dr. Kumar Prabhash.

Ever since his battle with cancer began in January 2021, apart from undergoing intensive treatment, Prakash has also been tirelessly advocating for cancer patients on various forums. Even on social media he has been raising his voice regarding their struggles, the cost of the treatment, medication and the various problems faced by the patients.

Prakash is also due to receive the Patient Advocate Education Award by the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC)- a prestigious organisation working in the field of lung cancer on September 7 during the World Conference on Lung Cancer (WCLC) to be held in San Diego city in America.

“My journey with cancer began in January 2021 when the disease was diagnosed at an advanced stage. I began reading books, surfing the internet and interacting with other patients and care givers to understand the emotional and financial challenges faced by them. It was then that I decided to come out in the open and talk about it and also make people aware about cancer through social media platforms,” recalls Prakash.

Prakash in his quest to educate and inspire others is also the director of Lung Connect India, a voluntary organisation working for cancer patients. Last year he also addressed the conference of SAARC Federation of Oncologists held in Kahmandu where he highlighted the obstacles faced by cancer patients.

As a part of Lung Connect India, Prakash and his team regularly organise online meetings for other patients from India and neighbouring countries where they share their experiences and also seek advice from doctors.