The Thing About Cancer: A Caregiver Tale from Northeast India

Today, we are introducing ‘The Thing About Cancer’ – a weekly talk show series featuring the experiences of people affected by cancer in varied manners – as a patient, a caregiver, a doctor, a nurse, a philanthropist, and more. 

Known as the ‘cancer capital’ of India, the northeast region has seen some of the highest numbers of cancer cases in the country. Debuting our series is Kiran Pathak, who experienced the trials of a cancer journey in Assam when her father went through cancer. A retired government employee, Kiran’s father was 69 years old when he was diagnosed with lung cancer. Between managing her job and life in a crowded metro, she scrambled to find the best source of treatment for him. 

Kiran speaks to us about the whirlwind experience the family encountered after first learning about her father’s diagnosis and the many challenges they had to face throughout the period until her father, known amongst his friends as Singh Da, passed. She points out the limitations that patients face in northeast India and highlights key points on the probable causes of the notoriously high numbers that this region sees. Kiran also shares tips and suggestions learned from her own and that of her family’s experience for patients and caregivers living in the northeastern parts of the country, and how they can better manage their own cancer journeys. 

This is her story.