BNH HCG Cancer Center, a unit of HCG in association with Nargis Dutt Memorial Trust and Richfeel recently organised a free hair consultation for cancer patients in Mumbai. Attended by over 150 patients, the survivors were addressed by Rahul Bajpai, BNH HCG, Cancer Center Head, Priya Dutt, Member of Parliament, a Trustee of Nargis Dutt Memorial Charitable Trust, Dr Apoorva Shah and Dr Sonal Shah, Founder of Richfeel Trichology Centre and fitness guru Micky Mehta.
Chemotherapy and radiotherapy form a part of the standardised regimen for curing or palliating cancer symptoms. Traditional chemotherapeutic agents act by killing cells that divide rapidly, one of the main properties of most cancer cells. This means that chemo and radioactive therapy also harms cells that divide rapidly under normal circumstances: cells in the bone marrow, digestive tract, and hair follicles. Thus resulting in the most common side-effects of chemotherapy: myelosuppression (decreased production of blood cells, hence also immunosuppression), mucositis (inflammation of the lining of the digestive tract), and alopecia (hair loss).
The other side effects take a longer duration to wear off and return to normalcy, alopecia or hair loss tends to affect the self esteem and confidence of cancer patients. In order to help patients combat the same, the three organisations came together to initiate this camp that entailed free scalp check up, hair consultation and free hair products along with subsequent follow ups for cancer survivors.
Bajpai, said, “Hair loss is many a times a result of chemo and radioactive therapy. This change in appearance can drastically undermine the patient’s self image and cause additional trauma. Our approach is “total care”, we thus use a multi-disciplinary approach to meet the physical and emotional needs of our patients to give them new options and renewed hope.”
Dr Kailash Mishra, Consultant Oncologist (Radiation) BNH HCG added, “Hair loss(scalp) is a common unwanted adverse effect of cancer treatment by chemo and radiotherapy(skull). However, patients pay a price to get a cure from cancer accepting the unacceptable. It puts on patients unwanted questions, lowering self esteem but the transition phase wears off to a better future.”
EH News Bureau