A forever relationship

Personalised medicine in the ‘war against cancer’ star ted with the era of biological markers. There were ‘magic bullets’ or targeted drugs to target impor tant biological markers on tumour cells that came to be known as immunotherapy and helped reduce the side effects of conventional chemotherapy.

Today, however, it is not just the medicine but also the physician-patient relationship that needs to be personalised. A physician has to figure out ‘what, how and when to convey’ and ‘How to help fight the patient fight his own mind’ to treat the patient effectively.

The answers are unique to the patient. This personalised treatment and physician-patient par tnership is of no less impor tance than the actual medicine, especially in case of cancer where an oncologist must play multiple roles of physician, psychologist, mentor and friend.

According to current WHO data, almost 50 per cent of cancers globally are ‘curable’. The word ‘cancer’ in real terms would mean a death sentence to most; however what we, as oncologists, aim at are to attempt to create awareness to prevent it whenever possible, diagnose it early and treat it as effectively as practically possible keeping in mind quality of life.

As oncologists we realise that cancer is not just a battle against the disease but more impor tantly a patient’s war against guilt, fear, suffering and agony. We realise that breaking this news does not merely cause a magical disappearance of all happiness in a patient; it is more profound devastation in terms of unplanned events in a person’s life: thoughts of child’s marriage or education and fear of the unknown to name a few. The misery is compounded with repeated diagnostic investigations and frequent clinic or hospital visits for treatment.

At this juncture what is of utmost impor tance is the confidence impar ted by the physician through ‘open communication’. With this the battle is redefined... the battle is about joys, sorrows, rewards and challenges of caring for people with cancer.