A PET scan report of senior IPS officer Himanshu Roy, who committed suicide on Friday, had revealed that his cancer was very much under control. While Roy was battling the illness for some time now, the report 10 days ago showed that his tumour had disappeared completely and the team of doctors treating him said it was a good sign of recovery. The doctors also discussed how Roy could be a perfect ambassador to give hope to patients struggling with difficult cancers.
“With positive progress like his, it would be a mistake to say that he killed himself because of the illness. More than the physical problems, it was his state of mind that probably took over,” said oncologist Dr. Raj Nagarkar, medical director of the HCG Manavata Cancer Centre in Nasik. “It is a personal loss for me”, Dr. Nagarkar said.
The Nasik centre has another branch under it called Centre for Difficult Cancers (CDC) where Roy was under treatment. “I had spoken to him three weeks ago about an open forum for cancer patients and he had immediately agreed to be a speaker at this forum. He has been regularly exercising as well. He was at the gym on Thursday too”, said Dr Nagarkar who designed the ‘precision treatment’ for Mr Roy which he would take in Mumbai or Pune. According to Dr Nagarkar, Mr Roy was first operated in the year 2000 for a kidney tumour. He underwent radical nephrectomy which involved removing of the kidney along with the peripheral tissue and lymph nodes. In February 2016, the tumour resurfaced in a metastasis form spreading to Mr Roy’s bones, brain, muscles and multiple soft tissues. Doctors said that his was a last stage cancer and nothing much could be done. Mr Roy also consulted doctors in the US and Portugal who could not offer much help either. In November 2016, Mr Roy started his consultations with CDC where he was among the 140 patients with difficult, last stage cancers who have been offered precision oncology therapies. “Mr Roy was put on chemotherapy and targetted therapy which involved an oral drug. He had also taken radiation therapy earlier”, said Dr Nagarkar adding that like all patients going through difficult illnesses, Mr Roy was taking counselling therapy.
