N. K. Dhabhar Cancer Foundation & Tata Memorial Centre Organised A Conference On Gynecological Oncology With 265 Doctors From Pan India At Tata Memorial, Parel.
N. K. Dhabhar Cancer Foundation (NKDCF), is a registered NGO which provides financial, emotional & social support to people with cancer & instills confidence, hope & courage to the patients & their families.
N. K. Dhabhar averred, “Our endeavor is to promote & integrate cancer treatment for every patient whether curable, palliative or terminal, as we believe every person has a right to live with care & dignity, at any stage of cancer. We provide monetary & medical assistance for cancer treatment, spread awareness on prevention & early detection of cancer, strengthen the existing cancer treatment facilities, promote research in cancer, and interact with National, International, Government, Professional Bodies & NGOs.”
N. K. Dhabhar continued, “Cancer detection camps are conducted with a new technology – I Breast Exam (IBE), and free Mammograms are provided to those who need further investigation. The long term goal of the foundation is to start a full – fledged Palliative Care & Wellness Center for cancer patients. Through this multidisciplinary approach, we seek to address physical, emotional, spiritual & social concerns that arise with advanced cancers. The N. K. Dhabhar Cancer Foundation wishes to raise funds to establish this state of the art center.
He concluded by saying, “Cancer has become an important public health problem. Cancers of the female reproductive tract & breast has a high incidence amongst Indian women. In India women’s diseases face much more challenges than the disease itself. If you talk about anemia, for the last 50 years, the Government has provided iron tablets to Indian women. In spite of that, India has one of the highest cases of anemia. So the problem is far greater than only affordability & access to the drug. We need to be working on many other barriers that are preventing access to medicines. For us, it is about completing the circle of awareness, diagnosis, advocacy & access. With a focused approach of redefining the standard of care & improving health outcomes, we see an opportunity of changing the way women’s cancers are treated in India. Step by step, day by day we can make a difference.”
N. K. Dhabhar Cancer Foundation, in scientific collaboration with Tata Memorial Hospital & the Association of Gynecological Oncologists of India has organized an important & unique conference, “The Year That Was 2016 & Master Class in Gynecological Cancers”.
The Organizing committee comprised of Dr Boman Dhabhar as Chairperson, Dr Amita Maheshwari as Organising Secretary, Dr Sudeep Guta as Convener Scientific committee & Drs Hemant Tongaonkar & Amish Dalal as Patrons.
This is the 1st ever conference organised on Gynecological Oncology in India. Day One of the conference saw 265 oncologists & students of oncology participating in the sessions. The faculty were eminent doctors in the field of Gynecological Oncology from all over India. The international faculty consisted of Dr. Jaime Prat, Onco Pathologist from Spain & Dr. Krishnansu Tewari, Medical Oncologist from US.
This conference will provide valuable information regarding new treatment algorithms, targeted drugs, diagnostics, strategies for better use of chemotherapy & key clinical trials data for the management of patients with Gynecological Cancer.
Landmark publications from International journals & abstracts which were presented in important International conferences such as ASCO, SGO, ESMO, ESGO, IGCS et al were reviewed. These topics were discussed & debated, which will help in better understanding of new treatment options for cancer patients. The knowledge of the most recent techniques & data for developing new strategies to personalize therapies for patients is extremely essential for Best Practice.
This will be especially useful for the young doctors who are unable to attend these international conferences in which a significant amount of practice changing data that affects the optimal way to treat, manage & care for patients with Gynecological Cancers have been presented.
Alongside the conference, NKDCF had organised a Patient Advocacy Programme on 7th Jan, 2017. The session began with Yoga & Cancer workshops where patients experienced asanas, pranayama & relaxation / meditation with Dr. Swami Nirmalananda Saraswati. The participants felt relaxed & rejuvenated with the practices and the words of wisdom pepped them up to face challenges positively. At the end everyone sang the Happiness Song together with clapping & dancing and much merriment.
This was followed by a session on Diet & Nutrition with Celebrity Master Chef, Vishnu Manohar & Meghana Kumari, Dietician. The audience participated whole heartedly by quizzing them on varied aspects of food & diet and the myths surrounding these. Vishnu Manohar shared some healthy recipes for cancer patients & Meghana Kumari enthralled them with useful & important tips on diet & food. The program concluded with a session on Motivation by Bharati Golatkar. She highlighted the paradigms we all have and how a shift in them changes our approach. She also discussed Dr. Viktor Frankl & his logo therapy.
Over 100 patients & caregivers were unanimous in their clamour for another program like this and gave excellent feedback on the sessions.
