Cancer survivors celebrate second innings

About 60 per cent of cases are curable, thanks to advanced science, say experts

June 30, 2014 03:13 am | Updated 03:13 am IST

Life was all hunky dory for Kalyana Sundaram in Pattukottai, with a comfortable teaching job till his retirement and also Dr. Radhakrishnan Award in recognition of his service.

Just a few years after retirement, trouble started pouring in, as Mr. Sundaram lost his wife in 2011 and two years later, he was diagnosed with cancer.

“While I was upset beyond words, initially, I had the determination to come out of it and eventually, I did,” he said, narrating his struggles at ‘Celebration of Life’, the annual cancer survivor meet of V.S. Hospitals, on Sunday.

When he was diagnosed with cancer, he said he could not even talk; on Sunday, though, he spoke uninterruptedly for fifteen minutes, an air of confidence around him.

“Detection at an early stage is the key,” said S. Subramanian, founder-chairman of V.S. Hospitals.

About 60 per cent of the cases can be cured with the advancement in science, and in another 10-15 years, it could go up to 80 per cent, he said.

“Nearly 90 per cent of cases are a result of the patients’ lifestyle. So, it’s in our hands to lead a healthy life and get rid of cancer,” he said.

Actor Suhasini Maniratnam said, at a time when all of us are leading mechanical lives, there has to be sensitivity while dealing with such illnesses.

“After 40, every day is a bonus. We should know how to live our lives to the fullest. When we are able to create buildings and flyovers, we can certainly fight cancer and come out of it,” she said.

Yoga master ‘Asana’ Andiappan and genomics specialist, Sudha Narayan Rao, who is also founder and managing director of Dhiti Omics Technologies Private Limited, were among those present at the event.

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