When Sundari was warned that her addiction to betel nut could cause her harm, she ignored it. But decades of the habit, which began as munching on a few nuts after lunch, soon started hurting her. She suffered ulceration of the mouth. But she continued the habit by adding sugar to the nut. It was only when she could not swallow that she chose to see a doctor. She was diagnosed with cancer of the food pipe.
“I always thought women could suffer only from cancers of the breast or uterus. My advice to all is to avoid habits that could lead to cancers. You may lay in the hospital bed unaware of the crisis your family goes through,” she told a gathering of young adults at EsoIndia’s public interaction on stomach and food pipe cancer.
Sundari is now a patient-educator, who shares her experiences with those diagnosed with gastric cancers. Indira is also a survivor who underwent surgery and has since been educating patients.
“Cancer is not a stigma. You need your family’s support. You must have faith in the doctor, trust him and follow his advice meticulously,” she said.
The women were part of EsoIndia’s efforts to raise awareness about cancer and its prevention. EsoIndia earlier held a marathon in four categories, including survivors.
At a function at Kalaivanar Arangam, the audience had questions such as whether cancer could run in families and how they should tackle it.
Dr. S.M. Chandramohan, president and Dr. M. Kanagavel, secretary of EsoIndia , set to rest the doubt saying if two siblings had cancer then the rest of the family members should get tested for the same.
Palliative care expert Mallika Tiruvadanan and chief dietician from Government Omandurar Super Multispeciality Hospital Meenakshi Bajaj explained the importance of increasing intake of vegetables and fruits and reducing daily intake of salt.
