Cancer may be a dreaded ailment, but it can be fought and defeated, survivors who emerged victorious in the duel told a large gathering on the World Cancer Day here on Monday. “All a person needs is will power, courage and a positive attitude to fight the disease,” was the common refrain at a special programme held to mark the occasion at the Institute of Medical Sciences and SUM Hospital.
The gathering, which mostly comprised cancer survivors or those still battling the ailment, was addressed by Ollywood actor Anu Choudhury, noted psychoneurobic expert and a cancer survivor himself Dr BK Chandrasekhar and oncologists.
The highlight of the programme was a ramp show by cancer survivors. “There was a time when detection of cancer was taken to be a death warrant. But things have since changed with advancement of science. A person can fight the disease with will power, courage and positive thinking,” Anu Choudhury.
Dr Chandrasekhar said he had been afflicted by cancer and two surgeries did not help his condition but led to Hepatitis-C infection and cirrhosis of liver. “While under treatment for one and a half years, I understood that it was not me but my body which had the disease,” he said, adding that he had found that positive energy could keep a person healthy.
Prof Gangadhar Sahu said early detection and treatment is the key to defeat cancer. Prof Sureswar Mohanty said the thought of cancer was scary in the past, but now a person could be completely cured of the disease.
Dr. Saroj Panda said though children are susceptible to cancer, the cure rate is 70% to 80%. “In fact, children tolerate chemotherapy much better than adults. The duration of treatment can be six months to two years and the expenses can be up to Rs two lakh,” he said.