In this article, Dr Arun Chandrasekharan, one of the best head and neck oncologist in India, talks about a memorable incident he faced during his career.
The article talks about the doctor’s incident with a gentleman, which ultimately shredded the social stigma of cancer and brought a ray of sunshine to a girl who underwent cancer treatment.
Through this article, the onco doctor tries to explain the social stigma that exists in most societies in India, rural as well as urban, for the word “cancer”, which is challenging to break even now.
Fears of incurability, pain, the toxicity of treatment, and infertility affect patients, caregivers, as well as the lay public leading society to shun such individuals, especially when it comes to marriage.
The article also mentions the difficulty in finding partners for women compared to men after cancer treatment because of the belief that cancers cause permanent sterility and risk of transmission of cancer to their children.
“Cancer is a part of our life, but it’s not our whole life.”
