You CAN fight against cancer

Feb 04, 2018 - Written by Ananya Mangwani

The news comes like a sledgehammer into the stomach: “I’m sorry to tell you, but you have cancer”. Every year, lacs of Indians are devastated by the news of cancer. On an average, more than 1,300 Indians succumb to the dreaded disease every day. With new cancer cases or its incidence in India estimated to grow by 25% by 2020 (according to the cancer registry released by the Indian Council of Medical Research), cancer has become one of the major causes of death occurring in the country.

Women, especially, are being increasingly diagnosed with cancer. Yet, when the topic comes up in drawing room discussions or family gatherings, it’s delicately brushed under the carpet.

With the deadly disease striking, it’s important not to miss those cues. Ignorance and denial leads to delayed diagnosis and treatment; most Indians change doctors when asked to go in for a screening or biopsy. Other than the fear of invasive treatment, disfigurement and financial burden, the ill-placed belief that a cancer patient will always die makes patients and their families refuse specialised treatment. The importance of awareness can be seen from the fact that in highly literate Kerala, 40% cases are detected early, a fact that ultimately leads to fewer deaths.

I’ve lost a very close dear member of my family to this deadly disease and wish no one such kind of misery. Don’t ignore anything that can cause a direct threat to the gift of life.

That’s the thing about living. You never know here you’ll just stop. No one sends a memo or a one month or week notice before resigning from LIFE. Don’t waste your time because you’ve haven’t got all of it.

You should take these questions if you’ve got the time:-

What is the Cancer Awareness Measure (CAM)?

The Cancer Awareness Measure is a validated set of questions designed to reliably assess awareness of cancer among the general population. The CAM can be used at national, regional and local levels to monitor/track awareness over time, compare between groups, identify information needs, and monitor the impact of awareness-raising interventions.

PS: If your ever feeling depressed or unlucky, go visit a hospital and you’ll be grateful if you see the sun and your legs move around. No kidding, I’ve done it, give it a try.

About the author

I am Ananya Mangwani and I was born on August 20. I am all about my dogs, my camera and my music. I love creating, travelling and experimenting. I believe life is too short to be serious all the time, so if you cannot laugh at yourself... call me. I'll do it for you.