Holistic care a must for cancer treatment, says onco-surgeon

LUCKNOW: Cancer patients on chemotherapy or immune-suppressing treatment should wait for at least four weeks from their last session for getting vaccinated against Covid-19, said Delhi based onco-surgeon Dr Anshuman Kumar on Friday.
Similarly, after taking both the doses, they should wait for two weeks before starting chemotherapy or immune-suppressing treatment, added the cancer specialist who is also a Covid-19 expert.

“In fact, cancer patients should consult their treating doctors before getting vaccinated because the type of cancer and its treatment also determines the risk factors, benefits and vaccination timeline,” said Dr Kumar, who was in the city for the launch of Holistic Cancer Centre at Altis hospital.
However, cancer survivors, who have completed treatment six months ago, can go for vaccination without any hesitancy, said the onco-surgeon.
Dr Kumar said that patients suffering from three types of cancer — Lymphoma, multiple myeloma and blood cancer (leukaemia) which affect the body's germ-fighting network, plasma cells and blood cells respectively — must be extra careful. They must consult an oncologist before getting the jab because both the vaccine and these cancers affect the immune system, he added.
“Cancer patients, who acquired Covid-19, must avoid living in rooms and places with damp walls during the sickness and for at least four weeks after recovery to prevent fungal infections, including black fungus,” he said. He also advised cancer patients to wear N-95 masks all the time when they are stepping out of their house or meeting someone.
Dr Kumar said “Holistic care is required for not only treatment of cancer, but also prevention and fast recovery. For this, we can take help from various medical and healthcare streams, including Yoga and Ayurveda. A classic Indian diet with green vegetables, turmeric with a balance of protein and carbs is the best for a cancer patient.”
He said that pandemic induced restrictions on public movement and conversion of super-speciality hospitals into Covid care centres are posing a major challenge in management of cancer patients. In some cases, the cancer has reached an advanced stage due to delay in treatment, he added.