'Compassion vital for cancer care’

Compassion and communication skills were important for young medical professionals, said Magsaysay award-winning oncologist Dr V Shantha, also the chairperson of Cancer Institute (WIA), Adyar. She was addressing the gathering at the second day of the 7th National Conference of the Teenage and Young Adult Cancer Foundation, on Saturday.

By :  migrator
Update: 2018-09-01 22:50 GMT
Dr V Shantha at the 7th National Conference of Teenage and Young Adult Cancer Foundation

Chennai

“There are institutions and professionals who believe in being cut and dried and not hiding facts. But I think it is cruel and a negative approach. They will not do the same to their own relatives. My repeated advice is, ‘Do what you do to your own relatives – child, son, daughter, wife, etc. You will never be wrong because you would have done the best’.”

The term TYACON refers to teenage and young adults. They are being studied as a separate group and is considered different from the paediatric group (above 15 years).

She added that a patient with a diagnosis of cancer was already in a state of extreme fear – almost in panic. “The oncologist’s skill in communication and listening are vital and can make all the difference in piloting the patient through the different phases of treatment,” Dr Shanta said.

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