Many forms of cancer can be prevented, delayed or alleviated through simple lifestyle changes. By improving diet, increasing physical activity and quitting smoking, 40% of cancer can be prevented. [break]
According to a latest WHO statement, 150 minutes of moderate physical activity a week could reduce the risk of breast and colon cancer by 21-25%. After all, preventing no communicable diseases is cheaper than treating them.
Ironically, it is a myth that cancer invades only old people. Nowadays, an infant can also be found with cancer. Genetic factors are regarded as its major cause. This disease in young people is known as Pediatric Cancer.
The types of cancer that mostly persist among the young are lymphoma tumors, thyroid due to hormonal imbalance, breast cancer, blood cancer, and sarcoma cancer in the bone marrow.
“Although Nepal does not have an accurate data on the prevalence of cancer, hospital data show around 10 to 15 percent of cancer patients are children,” says Dr Brijesh Raj Ghimire, Consultant Medical Oncologist and Cancer Specialist at Norvic Hospital and Om Hospital.
Be it ignorance on the part of the patients or even medical practitioners, cancer is difficult to detect at its very early stage.
“He had severe indigestion. So we took him to Bir Hospital from where we were referred to Norvic Hospital where a tumor was noticed and thus operated on. He kept complaining, so we then took him to Kathmandu Hospital but nothing was detected. So we have now come to Om Hospital,” sighs Jivan Tamang, whose brother Jay Bahadur, 24, has been diagnosed with Sarcoma.
While continuously soothing Jay’s back with his hands, Jivan says, “Our parents have spent above three lakh Rupees for his surgery and to send his reports outside the country. We want the best treatment for him but we don’t know how much more we have to spend for it. However, we’re hopeful that he’ll get well soon since he’s positive to the treatment and eats well.”
No communicable diseases such as cancer are less impoverishing to both families and individuals. These diseases are the major cause of poverty at the individual and household level. Cancer is also a threat, not only to the patient but to the entire family in terms of physical and mental trauma.
Bidya Pathak, Head Nurse of Oncology at Om Hospital, says, “On case by case issue, we’re sometimes constrained to treat sensitive patients according to their financial condition. All the families want the best treatment and it does give them confidence and hope. Yet in terminal stages, they seek cheaper treatment options since they are hopeless.” She adds, “Sometimes the relatives of the patients become highly emotional and flaunt aggressive frustration on us.”
“Many patients arrive for treatment at later stages due to various reasons such as self-ignorance, wrong guidance from doctors, lack of awareness among
family members, government’s insufficient health facilities and nervousness of the patients,” adds Ghimire.
The symptoms of cancer overlap with the symptoms of some other diseases such as tuberculosis and gynecology-related problems. Therefore, it is difficult to distinguish on time.
In a country like ours where the majority population are poor and not sufficiently sensitive to all aspects of cancer treatment, it is difficult for both patients and doctors to cope with sensitive issues like cost of treatment and emotional consequences.
Dr Ghimire says “We talk to the patient’s family before the treatment and plan accordingly, whether the patient is literate or not and if they can tolerate the shock or not, particularly if the patient is of younger age.”
“In a few cases, we’re compelled to treat the patient by sort of concealing the full truth and telling them that chemotherapy is an enhancer of bone strength or an antibiotic that has to be given every 21 days,” adds Bidya Pathak, saying, “If the patient loses hope, treatment becomes very difficult.”
Dr Ghimire identifies four chief causes of cancer among the youth, namely, excessive consumption of alcohol and tobacco; ignorance of one’s body; multi-partner sexual activities; and lack of exercise and regular checkups.
Young people are often careless and ignorant about small illnesses but they don’t realize how they will have to pay for it. Hope (name changed), 19, has been coping with cancer for over two years.
“I recklessly ate junk food while I was suffering from jaundice and my condition worsened. I had several tests after that and I was diagnosed with leukemia. Since I was diagnosed early, there were 3% cancer cells in my body. So we opted for Ayurvedic treatment. Now my health is under control but my diet is totally different from that of other people.”
“There were many cases of cancer in my family and they could not make it, but this doesn’t discourage me. My family is very supportive. They treat me as they treat my sister and this makes me feel like I’m normal. Physical pain has become a part my life, so I’m not very disturbed by it. But when I’m not able to do everything normally as my friends do, I feel miserable,” Hope adds.
“Being young, we often tend to hide things from our parents, thinking that they’ll scold us for being careless. But that’s a big mistake. We should share all problems and changes that our body goes through with our parents without being shy,” says Hope.
“The way we live today decides our health tomorrow,” asserts Ghimire, precisely aiming at the younger generation. It is better to be terrified and take precaution rather than to regret at the presence of such dreadful disease which makes the whole family suffer if not detected early.
Costly in terms of long-term care, the treatment of cancer demands social and financial investment at the state level and the nation needs to quickly begin to re-prioritize its efforts and funding to address this disease.
Related story
Blood Cancer Society Nepal conducts charity event for blood can...
-1200x560-1779450784.webp)