World Rose Day 2020: Welfare for Cancer Patients
World Rose Day is observed on 22 September every year. It is for the welfare of cancer patients. The day marks hope for cancer patients that cancer is curable.
The Day aims to spread a message to all cancer patients that they can fight the disease with strong willpower and spirit. It also reminds the patients that there are many individuals and services that are providing support to them medically, financially and emotionally.
Melinda Rose:
The rose day is observed in the memory of a 12-year-old Melinda Rose of Canada. When she was diagnosed with Askin's Tumour, a rare form of blood cancer, she did not give up hope. The doctor's predicted that she will not survive for more than 2 weeks, but she lived for 6 months. During that time of suffering, she encouraged and cheered up other cancer patients.
Cancer is the uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells anywhere in a body. Cancer develops when the body’s normal control mechanism stops working. Old cells do not die and instead grow out of control, forming new, abnormal cells. These extra cells may form a mass of tissue, called a tumour. Some cancers, such as leukaemia, do not form tumours. Treatment options depend on the type of cancer, its stage if cancer has spread, and your general health. The goal of treatment is to kill as many cancerous cells while reducing damage to normal cells nearby.
The Most Common Forms of Cancer
Cancer may occur anywhere in the body. In women, breast cancer is one of the most common. In men, it’s prostate cancer. Lung cancer and colorectal cancer affect both men and women in high numbers.
- Bladder cancer
- Breast cancer
- Colorectal cancer
- Oesophageal cancer
- Ovarian cancer
- Pancreatic cancer
- Prostate cancer
- Head and neck cancer
- Leukaemia
- Liver cancer
- Lung cancer
- Skin cancer
- Stomach cancer
- Uterine cancer
How to Celebrate World Rose Day?
Awareness about cancer is most important. We should make people aware of the importance of being cautious about cancer. You can cheer up cancer patients by gifting roses with a message to show them love, support, care, and concern for cancer patients. You can celebrate this day by setting up awareness campaigns in your society and educating people about cancer and ways to prevent it.
If a loved one is diagnosed with cancer, friends, family members and well-wishers may often find it tough to reach out to the patient and say the right thing. But not reaching out to them and not being around during this tough time can make the patient feel alone. Here are some pointers on what to say and what to avoid when your loved one is suffering from cancer:
You don’t look that sick: This is a highly insensitive comment, and takes away from the pain and suffering of the cancer patient. Instead, try to be there for them and take cues based on what they tell you.
This new diet can cure cancer: While fad diets and new studies may say lots of things, chances are the patient has already followed a lot of them. To say to them that they haven’t done it all is highly insensitive.
Think positive: Cancer patients go through all kinds of phases- at times, they may feel at peace, or feel afraid or angry at the world. And it is okay for them, they are processing their grief to the best of their capacity. Telling them to feel a certain way is not your call.
Someone I know is healed now: Comparing cancer patients is not sensitive at all. Each person faces a unique challenge, with symptoms and side effects that another patient may not have. Their chances of survival and speed of recovery can also vary. Don’t pigeonhole cancer patients together.
You will get better: While this statement may be well-intentioned and reflects hope, it does nothing for the cancer patient. They may go into remission or the disease may aggravate — no one knows how things will turn out making this statement redundant.
We should go hang out: Cancer treatments can reduce immunity levels significantly, increasing chances of infection in the patient. So, hanging out in public places may not be the right suggestion.
Cancer destroys not just the body and mind, but a family’s finance. By the time is it done, it makes sure there is nothing left to build. General health insurance does not help, and even the most comprehensive plans cannot cover for the entire treatment. The logical step would be to get a critical illness cover.
Less than 20% of all Indians are covered under health insurance. Over 80% of Indians are still uninsured, some because they are unaware that they can benefit from government health insurance. Here are some government schemes that can help fund your cancer treatment:
1. Health Minister’s Cancer Patient Fund
The Ministry of Health & Family Welfare offers the Health Minister’s Cancer Patient Fund (HMCPF) under Rastriya Arogya Nidhi. This is available for patients living below the poverty line.
2. The Health Minister’s Discretionary Grants
Also under The Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, the HMDG offers up to a maximum of Rs. 50,000 to poor patients in cases where free medical facilities are not available at government hospitals. Only those having an annual family income up to Rs.1.25,000 and below are eligible for financial assistance of up to 70% of the total bill.
3. The Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS)
Applicable for retired Central Government employees & dependents, which offers coverage for cancer treatment at approved rates from any hospital, apart from the hospitals set up under CGHS.
Eligibility:
All Central Govt. employees drawing their salary from Central Civil Estimates and their dependent family members residing in CGHS covered areas.
Central Govt. Pensioners/family pensioners receiving a pension from central civil estimates and their eligible dependent family members.
4. National Health Protection Scheme
An Ayushman Bharat initiative, the National Health Protection Scheme provides coverage up to 5 lakh rupees per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization.
5. The Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund
Originally intended for victims of natural disasters also provides partial coverage for heart surgeries, kidney transplantation, cancer treatment, and more such treatments.
6. State Illness Assistance Fund
States/UTs (with Legislature) have set up Illness Assistance Fund that offers coverage up to Rs. 1 Lakh for cancer treatment at government hospitals within the state. While some states do not have this scheme, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Tripura, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Kerala, Mizoram, Rajasthan, Goa, Gujarat, Sikkim, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Haryana, Uttarakhand , Punjab and Uttar Pradesh and the NCT of Delhi and Puducherry support it.
7. The Chief Minister’s Relief Fund
Under this, states provide financial assistance to the poor for cancer treatment.
Cancer is a genetic disease- that is, it is caused by changes to genes that control the way our cells function, especially how they grow and divide.
Genetic changes that cause cancer can be inherited from our parents. They can also arise during a person’s lifetime as a result of errors that occur as cells divide or because of damage to DNA caused by certain environmental exposures. Cancer-causing environmental exposures include substances, such as the chemicals in tobacco smoke, and radiation, such as ultraviolet rays from the sun.
Each person’s cancer has a unique combination of genetic changes. As the cancer continues to grow, additional changes will occur. Even within the same tumour, different cells may have different genetic changes.
In general, cancer cells have more genetic changes, such as mutations in DNA, than normal cells. Some of these changes may have nothing to do with the cancer; they may be the result of the cancer, rather than its cause.
Cancer symptoms and signs depend on the specific type and grade of cancer; although general signs and symptoms are not very specific the following can be found in patients with different cancers: fatigue, weight loss, pain, skin changes, change in bowel or bladder function, unusual bleeding, persistent cough or voice change, fever, lumps, or tissue masses.
Although there are many tests to screen and presumptively diagnose cancer, the definite diagnosis is made by examination of a biopsy sample of suspected cancer tissue.
Cancer staging is often determined by biopsy results and helps determine the cancer type and the extent of cancer spread; staging also helps caregivers determine treatment protocols.
In general, in most staging methods, the higher the number assigned (usually between 0 to 4), the more aggressive the cancer type or more widespread is the cancer in the body. Staging methods differ from cancer to cancer and need to be individually discussed with one’s health care provider and thereby it is extremely important for each for us to at least undergo normal full body check-ups yearly.
