Despair makes cancer menacing: Doctors

KOLKATA: Trisha Ghosh (name changed) had turned a recluse when she was detected with breast cancer five years ago. Two years of treatment cured her, but the housewife continued to live in isolation. That was till he she joined Disha, an organization that encourages cancer survivors to take to performing arts. Now a keen dancer, Trisha says she would probably had died of depression had she not broken free of her despair.

The fear of the terminal ailment is often so overwhelming that even survivors tend to believe that their days are numbered. A fourth of cancer patients remain suicidal for the rest of their lives, say oncologists. Cancer, in fact, is one of the leading reasons behind suicides in the state, according to NCRB data. So, the North 24-Parganas woman who killed herself on Wednesday fearing she had cancer was not an exception, experts pointed out.

“In many cases, the fears are unfounded. Oral, cervical and breast cancer patients can get completely cured. But you can’t stop patients from going into a depression. It has to be countered repeatedly since the anxiety keeps coming back,” said Diptendra Sarkar, head of the department of breast cancer, IPGMER.

Depression strikes thrice in the course of treatment and could turn chronic if not dealt properly, felt oncologists. “During diagnosis, horror and disbelief tend to lead to depression. Subsequently, chemotherapy and the resultant physical trauma causes a lot of despair. Finally, at the end of treatment when survivors attempt to return to normal life, there is the fear of rejection,” explained oncologist Gautam Mukhopadhyay.

Fear of cancer, too, was a common trigger for depression, said psychiatrist J Ram. “For many, it’s a nagging fear that even turns them suicidal. I have had perfectly healthy patients who believed they had the disease but have not been diagnosed. It made them scared and shun social life. In some cases, they turn suicidal,” said Ram.

Even though few in number, the city has organizations that group together cancer patients and survivors, helping them return to the mainstream after a trying phase. Disha, for instance, organizes plays, dance recitals and music sessions with survivors. “Getting involved in activities and interacting with fellow survivors are the best ways of getting over the scare. Cancer patients should never be allowed to sulk in isolation. They need to be treated like the rest,” said Agnimita Giri Sarkar, a paediatrician who runs Disha.