BHUBANESWAR: Cancer is a dreaded disease but patients can fight back with courage and a positive mindset, Ollywood actor Satyaki Mishra said on Saturday.
Speaking at an event organised at the Institute of Medical Sciences and SUM Hospital here on the eve of World Cancer Day, Mishra, who is recovering from oral cancer, appealed people to stay away from tobacco products as they are known to cause cancer. “I was a regular user of tobacco products, but never thought I would be afflicted with cancer. I suffered because of my own folly,” Mishra said, adding it is difficult to refrain from the habit once a person becomes an addict.
The actor’s wife Suchismita Mishra said battling such disease can be extremely hard for a family. “It leaves you physically, mentally and financially drained,” she said while urging people not to neglect any medical condition suggesting cancer and seek treatment at the earliest.
Head of department of Surgical Oncology at IMS and SUM Hospital Dr Sunil Agrawal said people should not be afraid of the disease. Advanced medical treatment is available now and early detection is the key to recovery, he said.
Head of Paediatric Oncology Dr Saroj Prasad Panda said around 50,000 children are being detected with cancer across the country every year. Former MP and actor Siddhant Mohapatra emphasised that awareness was the key to successfully battle the disease. He said lifestyle held the key to one’s health and men suffer from oral, lung and colon cancer because of their habits.
Medical superintendent Prof Pusparaj Samantasinhar, dean Prof Neeta Mohanty and head of Medical Oncology Dr Soumya Surath Panda also spoke.
