Frequently asked questions by patients
Q1. Why did this happen to me?
Cancer is not always anybody's fault. It can happen to any individual.
Q2. What is the success rate after operation/treatment?
Success rate after treatment of any cancer is determined by multiple factors. Some important factors include stage, site, type and grade. Depending on these factors the success rate might vary from patient to patient. Your healthcare provider will be able to ascertain the success rate better.
Q3. Do problems increase after operations?
Patients might experience discomfort after surgical treatment which usually subsides within a certain time period. Leaving the problem as it is only leads to progression and severity of disease with a chance of spreading to other body parts. Getting a timely treatment will aid in reduction of the problem.
Q4. Does radiations have side effects and are harmful?
Radiation works by making small breaks in the DNA inside cells. These breaks keep cancer cells from growing and dividing and cause them to die. Nearby normal cells can also be affected by radiation, but most recover and go back to working the way they should.
Q5. Should one NOT touch or treat tumors ?
It is a common misconception that tumours/lesions should not be treated and left as it is. This only aids in spread and progression of cancer, plummeting better prognosis.
Q6. What should a patient eat after or during the treatment ?
There are no dietary restrictions unless the patient is suffering from any other ailment like diabetes, thyroid, etc
Q7. What are the available treatment options ? What is the best intervention (based on age) ?
The main cancer treatments for people of all ages are: Surgery, Chemotherapy or targeted therapy, Radiation therapy. Treatment varies from case-to-case basis. The best treatment for cancer is the type which fits the patient’s profile, and the various factors that are taken into consideration while your doctor decides the course of treatment including your overall condition and medical history, the type of tumour, its location and distribution. The treatment and its process differ with each patient, and this comes with the various factors that influence treatment type.
The basic cancer treatment modalities include surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy and targeted therapy, which can further include gene expression modulators, immunotherapy, angiogenesis inhibitors, hormone therapy, etc. It is important to talk with your health care team about the risks and benefits of the treatment​
Q8. Are there any tablets given to patient ? Do patients have to take lifelong medications after surgery ?
Cancer medications include a wide variety of drugs that use different mechanisms to fight the condition. There are benefits and drawbacks to each type of medication, and doctors can advise on the best option for each individual case. Treatment might involve cancer medications on their own or cancer medications alongside other treatment options. The duration and intensity of the treatment will depend on the severity of the cancer and the person’s overall health.
Q9. How much the cancer treatment cost ?
The cost of Cancer Treatment in India may vary depending on the following few factors:
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Admission fee
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Oncologist fee
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Age of the patient
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Area of the body to be treated
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The medical condition of the patient
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Type of Cancer Treatment planned to be performed
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Post-procedure complications that are involved
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Type of hospital
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The admission room that you opted for
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Any other lab tests or examination tests such as X-ray, ECG, etc
When the above factors are taken into consideration, the cost of Cancer Treatment in India varies around 1 lakh to several lakhs.
Q10. What are the causes of cancer ?
There is no one single cause for cancer. Cancer arises from the transformation of normal cells into tumour cells in a multi-stage process that generally progresses from a pre-cancerous lesion to a malignant tumour. Scientists believe that it is the interaction of many factors together that produces cancer. The factors involved may be genetic, environmental, or constitutional characteristics of the individual.
According to WHO, these changes are the result of the interaction between a person's genetic factors and three categories of external agents, including:
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physical carcinogens, such as ultraviolet and ionizing radiation;
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chemical carcinogens, such as asbestos, components of tobacco smoke, alcohol, aflatoxin (a food contaminant), and arsenic (a drinking water contaminant); and biological carcinogens, such as infections from certain viruses, bacteria, or parasites.
Q11. What are the chances of recurrence OR what are the chances of cancer coming back after treatment ?
Even after removal and treatment, cancer sometimes returns. Doctors call this a cancer recurrence. It may resurface in the same area where it was first found or turn up at another spot in the body. Recurrence rates vary widely between cancer types, and within cancer types according to stage, histology, genetic factors, patient-related factors, and treatments.
Q12. Is the problem treatable ?
Cancer is a group of diseases. There are over a hundred different cancer types. Some types are curable, and indeed are being cured, particularly when they are detected earlier, while other types might not be curable.​
Q13. Why do patients feel or experience burning sensation after radiation therapy ?
About 60 percent of cancer patients need radiation therapy, either alone or in combination with other treatments, according to National Cancer Institute.
Radiation treatment kills cancer cells, but it may also damage healthy cells. Because external radiation needs to pass through your skin to reach the cancer cells, your skin may be affected. Changes, including burns, may happen if the skin doesn’t have enough time to heal between treatment sessions.
Radiation burns, also known as X-ray dermatitis or radiation dermatitis, may start showing up about two weeks into external radiation treatment. These burns are common, but they tend to be mild and usually resolve within two months after radiation treatment ends. Burns and other skin changes may occur on and around the treated area, but nowhere else on your body.
Anyone undergoing radiation therapy may experience radiation burns, but they are especially common in patients undergoing treatment for certain cancers, such as Head and Neck Cancers, Breast cancer and cancers that form on or close to the skin, such as anal cancer and skin cancer, including melanoma.
Q14. Why do patients experience dry mouth / throat after cancer treatment ?
Dry mouth is also called "xerostomia." It happens when the body's salivary glands do not make enough saliva, or spit, to keep the mouth moist.
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Radiation therapy and chemotherapy may cause dry mouth by damaging salivary glands.
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Radiation therapy to the head, face, or neck can cause dry mouth. It can take 6 months or longer after radiation therapy ends for the salivary glands to start producing saliva again. Dry mouth often improves during the first year after radiation treatment. But many people continue to have some level of long-term dry mouth. This is especially likely if radiation therapy was directed at the salivary glands.
Chemotherapy may also cause dry mouth, but it is usually temporary. It usually clears up 2 to 8 weeks after the treatment ends.
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Q15. Why do patients feel numbness after surgery ? how long does it last ?
Numbness is a fairly common side effect of surgery. It typically improves dramatically as anaesthesia wears off. Most patients experience a full recovery from numbness a day or two following surgery.
Q16. Do patients experience difficulty in eating after surgery ?
Surgery involving the jaw, mouth, throat, or tongue will make eating and swallowing difficult. This is due to swelling and sometimes pain after surgery. The area will recover when the swelling goes down.
Q17. Is surgery mandatory part of the cancer treatment ?
Undergoing surgery for cancer is different for every patient. Whether surgery is a treatment option for you depends on the type of cancer, size, stage and site of cancer, the type of surgery and the patient's health. For some people, surgery is a major medical procedure with life-changing side effects. For others, surgery is quick and has few side effects.
Q18. Would early detection of the disease have made a difference ? Does prognosis change with early detection ?
Early diagnosis improves cancer outcomes by providing care at the earliest possible stage and is therefore an important public health strategy in all settings.
Q19. Is age a factor that can affect treatment ?
The incidence of cancer rises dramatically with age, most likely due to a build-up of risks for specific cancers that increase with age. The overall risk accumulation is combined with the tendency for cellular repair mechanisms to be less effective as a person grows older.