NAGPUR: As the world marks anti-tobacco day on Tuesday, most cancer patients are thanking improved medical facilities for the new lease of life given to them. However, many counsellors and doctors believe that along with medication a good support system helps to increase longevity of those afflicted by the dreaded disease.
"Faith, courage and a friendly approach go a long way in increasing the will power of a cancer patient. Moral support from the family has in fact been proven to be a factor in patients surviving the disease," says Dr Vinay Hazare, dean of Government Dental College and Hospital, which handles many cases of oral cancer.
He also revealed that there is a newly evolved discipline called psycho-neuro-immunology, which establishes a relationship between enhanced immunity and prayers and acts of goodwill by the patient or his family during the illness.
Many NGOs also practice what is known as psycho oncology, or providing psychological support to cancer patients and their families, for a more holistic treatment of the disease. "It is very important to help patients and their near ones adapt to the situation. They need to be prepared for all the sufferings, most of them psychological, from the time the disease is diagnosed, during the treatment and even after survival," Dr Suchitra Mehta of Central India Cancer Research Institute explained.
Psychological support is helpful not only for helping the afflicted or survivors, it also keeps the use of tobacco within limits. Eminent ENT surgeon Dr Madan Kapre has made an anti-tobacco horror movie, which is shown every year at his clinic.
Dr Kapre claims that several people have come up to him and pledged not to use tobacco any more because of the fear the movie instills in them. This year, besides the movie screening, Dr Kapre has also included a signature campaign against use of tobacco, and plans to set sachets of tobacco on fire as a symbolic gesture.
Speaking about the power of this fear psychosis, he recalled having attended a discourse by Kharate Maharaj many years ago. "After hearing him speak against addiction to alcohol and tobacco, I could see how it affected the audience, many of whom promised to give up the bad habits," he recalled.
The government has also decided to have more graphic representations on packets of tobacco instead of mild warnings. They feel this would deter many people who have acquired the habit recently. However, volunteers at the NGOs and doctors think this step is inadequate.
"No gory details about the dangerous effects of tobacco would yield any results until the government raises the price of this poisonous substance. If the prices of essential commodities and petrol can be hiked, why not those of cigarettes and tobacco?" asked Geeta Mathur, counsellor at Sadhana Charitable Trust, an NGO associated with various cancer hospitals.
She recounted having seen a child aged five using tobacco. "I gave him a long lecture about the harms of these substances, after which he asked me why nothing has happened to his father, who has been consuming tobacco for two decades," she said.
Her views are endorsed by Dr BK Sharma of RST Regional Cancer Hospital. "If the government is serious about this, they should ban the sale of tobacco completely. If that is not possible, the least that can be done is to disallow any kind of advertising, promotion or sponsorship of such products," he said.
"Faith, courage and a friendly approach go a long way in increasing the will power of a cancer patient. Moral support from the family has in fact been proven to be a factor in patients surviving the disease," says Dr Vinay Hazare, dean of Government Dental College and Hospital, which handles many cases of oral cancer.
He also revealed that there is a newly evolved discipline called psycho-neuro-immunology, which establishes a relationship between enhanced immunity and prayers and acts of goodwill by the patient or his family during the illness.
Many NGOs also practice what is known as psycho oncology, or providing psychological support to cancer patients and their families, for a more holistic treatment of the disease. "It is very important to help patients and their near ones adapt to the situation. They need to be prepared for all the sufferings, most of them psychological, from the time the disease is diagnosed, during the treatment and even after survival," Dr Suchitra Mehta of Central India Cancer Research Institute explained.
Psychological support is helpful not only for helping the afflicted or survivors, it also keeps the use of tobacco within limits. Eminent ENT surgeon Dr Madan Kapre has made an anti-tobacco horror movie, which is shown every year at his clinic.
Dr Kapre claims that several people have come up to him and pledged not to use tobacco any more because of the fear the movie instills in them. This year, besides the movie screening, Dr Kapre has also included a signature campaign against use of tobacco, and plans to set sachets of tobacco on fire as a symbolic gesture.
Speaking about the power of this fear psychosis, he recalled having attended a discourse by Kharate Maharaj many years ago. "After hearing him speak against addiction to alcohol and tobacco, I could see how it affected the audience, many of whom promised to give up the bad habits," he recalled.
The government has also decided to have more graphic representations on packets of tobacco instead of mild warnings. They feel this would deter many people who have acquired the habit recently. However, volunteers at the NGOs and doctors think this step is inadequate.
"No gory details about the dangerous effects of tobacco would yield any results until the government raises the price of this poisonous substance. If the prices of essential commodities and petrol can be hiked, why not those of cigarettes and tobacco?" asked Geeta Mathur, counsellor at Sadhana Charitable Trust, an NGO associated with various cancer hospitals.
She recounted having seen a child aged five using tobacco. "I gave him a long lecture about the harms of these substances, after which he asked me why nothing has happened to his father, who has been consuming tobacco for two decades," she said.
Her views are endorsed by Dr BK Sharma of RST Regional Cancer Hospital. "If the government is serious about this, they should ban the sale of tobacco completely. If that is not possible, the least that can be done is to disallow any kind of advertising, promotion or sponsorship of such products," he said.
