The assist group offers an area the place survivors and caregivers can share their tales and join with others who perceive what they’re going via. They additionally assist folks to take care of the challenges of most cancers, akin to adjustment to a brand new prognosis, emotional stress, and monetary issues.

Rashmi Tipnis, a member of the group and a cancer survivor herself, stated most of the sufferers she has counselled affectionately name her maa (mom), maasi (aunt) or badi maa. “Especially in younger patients, their parents — devastated by the detection of cancer, need more emotional and moral support. Speaking to someone who has overcome the fears of cancer gives the caretaker and the patient a lot of confidence to undergo the treatment positively,” stated Tipnis.

As members of the group have the expertise of overcoming several types of most cancers, gynaecological, gastrointestinal, hepato-pancreatic-biliary, orthopaedic, haematological, head and neck, and breast, their collective expertise proves helpful to sufferers not too long ago detected with most cancers. It is curated by famend most cancers specialists at Nanavati Hospital.

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Members of the group, via a WhatsApp group and periodic conferences, share their experiences and emotions, and obtain recommendation and encouragement from others who’re present process most cancers remedy. Members of Saathi additionally supply sensible details about most cancers remedy and coping methods to newly recognized most cancers sufferers, every time they want help.

Long-time sarcoma survivor Jayashree Shanbag, who has been part of Saathi and one different most cancers assist group in Mumbai, stated she seems to be ahead to her physician’s name inviting her to help sufferers. “I recently counselled a teenager from Vapi who was diagnosed with osteosarcoma of the femur. I also called one of our fellow survivors who had successfully recovered from a similar type of cancer. His mother was eager to meet us as we have overcome cancer and are leading a healthy life. We even help them choose implants for surgery,” Shanbag stated.

Speaking about why the hospital arrange Saathi, Dr Hemant Tongaonkar, senior director of urologic and gynaecologic oncosurgery and head of surgical oncology on the hospital stated, “The sheer psychological burden of cancer, is equally or often, more exhausting than the disease itself. Saathi was established to provide a forum for people to share their thoughts and feelings, as well as learn about how to best support their loved one.”

“Though we as doctors build a warm relationship with all our patients, platforms such as these offer an additional sense of community and belonging, which is often lost when a person is diagnosed with cancer,” he added.