Tata Memorial Hospital (TMH) in Parel has begun exploring the efficacy of ayurveda and yoga for better cancer care.
The premier cancer institute that sees the highest patient load in the country has started studies to understand the benefits of two ayurveda medicines in ovarian cancer patients and yoga in breast cancer patients. While the studies are yet to be published, this is the first attempt by the hospital to look beyond modern medicine. The hospital is working in collaboration with the Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (AYUSH).
In one study, the doctors are looking at reducing the nerve damage caused by a chemotherapy drug by supplementing the treatment of ovarian cancer with an ayurveda medicine. In the second study, doctors are looking at preventing the relapse of ovarian cancers.
‘70%-80% relapse’
“Ovarian cancers respond well to treatment but they keep coming back. For example, in 100 ovarian cancer patients, about 70 to 80 have a relapse. We are exploring if ayurveda can help prevent it,” said Dr. Shripad Banavali, director of academics and professor of paediatric and medical oncology at TMH. According to Dr. Banavali, the idea is to conduct the studies through rigorous scientific work, phase-wise trials and development of protocol. “It is not just about cure, we also want to look at supportive treatment,” he said.
In an ongoing study on the benefits of yoga, researchers are studying the data of 800 breast cancer patients. While half of them carry out routine exercises, the other half performs yoga along with the routine exercises. “First-hand information shows that their chemotherapy tolerance is better compared with those who did just routine exercises. We are now planning a long-term study to see if there will be any improvement in survival,” said Dr. Rajendra Badwe, director of Tata Memorial Centre.
The longitudinal study involved introducing yoga asanas and breathing exercises to patients in phases. The patients were asked to maintain their own logs and were evaluated every six months. The researchers looked at aspects like sleeplessness, depression, fear of treatment, and fear of outcome to assess the results.
The hospital is also in talks with the State government for a piece of land near the Advanced Centre for Treatment, Research and Education in Cancer in Kharghar to explore the possibility of growing medicinal herbs and plants, and conducting research.
Hub-and-spoke model
TMH has expanded rapidly to decentralise cancer treatment by opening centres in Visakhapatnam, Guwahati and Varanasi. The centre will work on a hub-and-spoke model to expand and take cancer care closer to patients. While the hubs will cater to a population of four to five crore and deal largely with complicated cases, spokes will be set up to deal with common cancers.
Published - February 04, 2020 12:35 am IST
