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Cancer Awareness

Spreading the Word about Cancer Awareness and Early Detection-2008-13

By Mukundray G Shah

When my wife Nalini was diagnosed with breast cancer, we discovered that the dreadful disease had not only touched our lives but also of many community members of the Jain Center of Southern California (JCSC), Los Angeles. After nearly a decade of fighting, Nalini passed away in August 2008 due to recurrence of cancer. Nalini took the painful journey to the end in good spirits like a true Jain. People in Jain Center admired her for tolerance to go through severe pain and hard protocols of cancer treatment, while continuing to do swadhyays even in the hospital bed. She left a seed of motivation in us-family members to do something so that others do not have to suffer, what she had gone through. In her memory the family has set up Nalini Shah Cancer Fund as a subsidiary of Anekant Community Center (ACC). ACC is a 501(c) (3) Non-Profit California Corporation established in Los Angeles for enhancing Health, Education and Culture. Donations made to Anekant Community Center are deductible from Income-Tax.

Activities in USA 2009-10:

  1. Arranging lectures by cancer specialists for identification/early detection of cancer symptoms and screening tests and awareness with a focus to impress upon community members for regular medical checkup for early detection of all types of cancers. Nalini Shah Cancer Fund gracefully acknowledges the help of Dr. Manilal Mehta, Dr. Jaswant Modi, Dr. Lalit Vora, Dr. Ramesh Kothari, Dr. Nitin Shah, Dr. Kirit Gala, Dr. Vikram Kamdar, Dr. Malini Shah, Dr. Nilesh Vora, Dr. Mona Sanghani, Dr. Nimisha Parekh and Dr. Jayshree Vyas etc. for enlightening the members of Jain Center on symptoms and early detection of various types of cancers.
  2. Workshops for ladies for self examination of breasts for early detection of breast cancer.
  3. Training for volunteers for cancer awareness message/programs was conducted with the assistance of American Cancer Society and Orange County Health Authority.
  4. Participation in community health fairs at Jain Center for spreading the word about cancer awareness.

Activities in India 2011 and onwards:

Most people do not know that early detection and immediate appropriate treatment of cancer saves life 90% of the times. As against that if cancer is detected late 90% of the patients die. Nalini Shah Cancer Fund has therefore set its mission to spread the cancer awareness education, cancer prevention and its early detection to save the life and huge expenditure. We are happy to note that donors have supported this cause of humanitarian service.

  1. Cancers in India and Awareness:
    It is reported that in India that there are 2 to 2.5 million cancer patients at any given point of time with about 0.7 million new cases coming every year and nearly half die every year. Two-third of the new cancer patients are presented in advance and incurable stage at the time of diagnosis. More than 60% of these affected patients are in the prime of their life between the ages of 35 and 65 years. With increasing life expectancy and changing life styles concomitant with development, the number of cancer cases will be almost three times the current number. It has long been realised that cancers of the head and neck in both sexes and of the uterine cervix in women are the most common malignancies seen in the country. Fighting cancer is not a short term battle, especially in India where people are not keen about regular medical checkup. Cancer is preventable and curable disease, provided if it is detected in early stages of development but people need to be educated so that they can take charge of their health and well being. We have joined hands with Indian Cancer Society in sponsoring cancer detection camps in association with local charitable and social organizations like Gowalia Tank Jain Derasar, Bhartiya Stree Seva Sangh, Smile Organization, Gorwal Mahila Maitri Mandal etc. These camps are conducted with fully staffed medical team and mobile cancer detection unit equipped with mammography. By the end of June 2013, ten cancer detection camps have been organized in which ten suspicious cases were detected. These cases were referred for follow up investigation and appropriate cancer treatment at Tata Memorial Hospital.
  2. Cervical Cancer in India:
    India is facing a huge problem of cervical cancer in women as more than 1, 35,000 cases are detected annually, out of which unfortunately 75,000 die as these cases are presented to hospitals and doctors when the disease is in very much advanced stage. To get first hand information on cervical cancer test protocol in India, the fund sponsored a University of Tennessee medical student Dr. Kingel Shah for one month rotation at Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai. She studied Indian cancer treatment protocols for Cervical Cancer. Cervical cancer is a preventable disease. Pap Smear and HIV/DNA tests help detect this cancer in early stage and with proper treatment cancer is cured.
  3. Future:
    It is found that in India there is a built-in resistance and ignorance for cancer testing and preventative care, however mere participation of hundreds of individuals in these cancer detection camps, we find a snowball effect in inspiring many a people to opt for cancer testing and advice friends and relatives. We are happy to record that several public charitable/social organizations are coming forward for partnering in camps in Mumbai.
  4. Gujarat and Kutch:
    We have explored the prospects of cancer detection camps in Kutch, Saurashtra and Gujarat. Gujarat Cancer Research Institute operates a mobile cancer detection unit within radius of 30 miles from Amdavad. The services of this medical van are not available in other areas of Gujarat. We have represented to Gujarat Government to make available new detection units for other areas of Gujarat because of high incidence of oral cancer.
  5. How can you Help:
    Whatever Nalini Shah Cancer Fund is doing in battling cancer epidemic is not even a drop in ocean. More individuals particularly Non-Resident Indians and charitable organizations should come forward and assist in spreading cancer awareness, in organizing cancer detection camps and donating funds for mobile cancer detection units equipped with mammography machines and help in souring free/subsidized rate anti cancer medicines/ chemotherapy agents from USA/Canada/UK from pharmaceutical companies and charities to help poor and needy patients in India. Consider joining hands with us for this great humanitarian service.

Please feel free to contact:

Mukundray G Shah, 473 Stanford Court, Irvine, CA 92612

mgshah@yahoo.com 949-509-6716, 949-243-2872.

Visit: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Nalini-Shah-Cancer-Fund/252775951416296