I am indeed delighted to participate in the inauguration of Linear Accelerator Centre of J.S.S. Bharath Charitable Trust. My respects to His Holiness Jagadguru Sri Shivarathri Deshikendra Mahaswamiji. My greetings to Dr. Ajay Kumar and his team, medical professionals, donors, volunteers and distinguished guests on this occasion. The partnership between J.S.S. and Bharath Charitable Trust is promoting cheers to the people of Mysore through selfless service. They are working with the motto "service to humanity is service to God". I am sure God's blessings will always be there with the members of this organization in this noble mission.

While inaugurating the high end radio therapy facility, the Linear Accelerator, the word radiation brings to my mind a great women scientist Nobel Laureate Madam Curie, who discovered the source of radiation at the cost of her life. Since then millions of millions of lives have been saved through radio therapy. Curie's life was full of challenges. She was not afraid of the problems, she defeated the problem and succeeded.

My experience in Cancer care

When I am with you, I would like to remember my visit to Peddamiram, Bhimavaram district, where Dr M.R. Raju has established a Cancer treatment centre in the rural ambience. Prof Raju's life is indeed a great example, how a famous nuclear scientist working in Los Alamos Laboratory, USA decided to transform the village Peddamiram and its surroundings, with the support of his family members. With his assets, he started the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Medical Trust in that village. In a decade, he and his team supported by volunteers from various institutions from India and abroad, have brought great change to the people in the village. Particularly he targeted character building and upliftment of the children in the age group of 3 to 5 years. This has totally transformed the village atmosphere and the drop out rate of the children in schools has come down from 70% to less than 30%. They are receiving creative learning in a harmonious atmosphere. A confident young population is emerging in the village. In addition, two hospitals, one for cancer diagnosis and treatment, particularly to cervical cancer among tribals and the second one for treatment of eye diseases have been commissioned in the village which are continuously progressing. Let me now discuss the application of stem cell research for treatment of cancer.

Stem Cell Research

Newer knowledge emerging out of research on stem cells from abroad and India has to be taken note of and studied. In fact, regenerative medicine is fast getting established as a complete branch of medical science. The embryo starts out as a mass of undifferentiated cells, which then divide, multiply and go down differential paths to take the shape of various tissues and organs of the body. The mechanisms which constitute this orderly process of differentiation is fast getting understood at the laboratory level. And the state-of-the-art in this area holds the promise of regenerating tissue that malfunctions due to injury, age, disease or genetic abnormality. Whether large volumes of cells can be produced from stem cells is yet to be seen. I hope that the day is not far, when we will be able to get a tailor-made bone marrow out of stem cells to survive for the next sixty years and beyond. I would like to talk about the need for social support to reduce the stress among cancer patients.

Integrated treatment (Physiology, Psychology and Immunology)

The suffering of cancer does not remain confined to the patient alone. It often engulfs the entire family and the social surroundings. The emotional trauma is just intense. The Bangalore Cancer Research Foundation conducted a unique multi-institutional study with DRDO with the participation of Defence Institute of Psychological Research (DIPR), Defence Institute of Physiology and Allied Sciences (DIPAS) and Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB). The study was aimed at establishing the relationship of the stress of breast cancer patients with the neuro-endocrine response leading to immune modulation, which will determine the prognosis to treatment or progression of the disease. The perceived stress of the patients will be influenced by the social support being provided by the spouses and caregivers and hence in the study a systems approach was made to evaluate the stress of the patients in the social ambience. Patients of breast cancer, their spouses and equal number of the care givers served as volunteers for the study.

Standard psychological methods were used to quantify the stress of the patients, their coping strategies, blood cortisol, cell mediated immunity and humoral immunity were measured in all the three groups. The study revealed specific correlation of the stress of the patients with the immune responses. Patients who received adequate social support had lower level of perceived stress and their prognosis to surgical, radiation and chemotherapy were better than those who had higher level of perceived stress due to inadequate emotional support from the spouses and care givers. The primary message, which emanated from the study, indicates that for successful prognosis, it will be essential to combine psychotherapy along with the conventional medical management of cancer. It also emphasizes on the necessity to address the problem at the mind-body complex where the etiological factor may have the root. I would like the doctors assembled here to implement this method while treating the patients in Mysore region. Now, I would like to discuss about screening of patients for early diagnosis and cure.

Now, I would like to talk about three of my friends who are fighting Cancer bravely.

Brave Hearts

I have three friends so valiantly handling their blood cancers. The first one is an scientist-cum-industrialist, second one is an author and the third one is a painter, all three are handling their blood cancers with courage. Undaunted by the presence of a disease of poor morbidity in their bodies they are relentlessly pursuing life. The scientist industrialist says, like a gladiator, he will defeat his cancerous cells. The author is learning more about self by writing books of great spiritual and literary value. One of his work is titled "Celebration of the Cells". I had invited the painter to stay in the Rashtrapati Bhavan. He created beautiful paintings capturing the beauty and life in Mughal Garden. He showed me one painting which he did while undergoing chemotherapy at the Tata Memorial Hospital. The indomitable spirit was shining over the trauma of pain. After interacting with these three friends, I learnt that the life of a cancer patient is a process of adjustment to a disease that at times is in remission and at other times active. Any illness or even discomfort can direct us to the often-ignored self. It can even become a journey of faith. The medical practitioners can take a lead from this experience while advising patients.

Study on Cervical Cancer

The application of indigenous technology to make healthcare affordable as well as accessible has brought me together to Prof Kakarla Subba Rao. We worked together on many projects that will be useful for rural people. In one such project of Society for Biomedical Technology (SBMT) of DRDO (Defence Research & Development Organisation) named TULASI, mass screening of cervical cancer was undertaken by the Nizam's Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS) and Deccan College of Medical sciences (DCMS). More than 50 camps in tribal and rural areas as well as in the urban slums have been conducted to screen women for cervical cancer at their door-step. A number of factors have emerged leading to cervical cancer. Early marriage, multiple childbirths and lack of reproductive hygiene, generally prevalent in lower socio-economic groups have been shown to be associated with increased risk of cervical cancer. The study also established the positive effect of use barrier methods of contraception in protecting the females against human papilloma virus. Although, TULASI Project has succeeded in creating awareness about this most prevalent of female cancers in India, an effective follow-up and treatment system to treat cervical cancer patients has yet to be established. J.S.S. Bharath Charitable Trust joint venture can consider such screening methods among the population of Mysore district. This type of screening may enable early detection leading to early cure of these cases.

Conclusion

I would also like to share with you a quote in the paper which I came across on the topic "One World, one people, one surgery" by Dr.T.E.Udwadia which states: "The poorest of the poor have as much right as anyone to less pain after surgery, reduced medication, less morbidity, shorter hospitalization, and early return to home, family, and work. Minimal access surgery and the expensive technology it requires are advocated, not as homage or tribute to new technology, but in appreciation of the manifold benefits this new technology gives to our patients and our people." This thought has to be the focus of all the doctors, specialists and other members of J.S.S. Bharat Charitable Trust.

With these words, I inaugurate the Linear Accelerator Centre of J.S.S. Bharath Charitable Trust and my best wishes to all the members of this noble organization for success in your missions of removing the pain of the suffering people.

May God bless you all.

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