Dr. K.S. Vijayagopal

Hello, I am Dr Gaurav Chanana. I’m working as a consultant at Delhi Pain Management Centre. At Delhi Pain Management Centre, we are managing pains of every kind like muscular skeletal pain, back pain, heel pain and cancer pain also.

Cancer pain is one of the difficult pains to treat, difficult because cancer patients suffer from pain during the course of the disease either from the treatment like surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy or due to the spread of cancer to the various tissues when we say it is metastatic cancer.

For management of cancer pain, we need an expert doctor who is comfortable with using of opioid in managing cancer pain. It’s associated with side effects like constipation or drowsiness or the drugs are not being able to control the pain of the patient. At Delhi Pain Management Centre we try to manage cancer pain with various non-drug modalities, pharmacotherapy and also some interventions if and when needed.

If you have any query about cancer pain you can contact me via Lybrate through audio, video or in person consultation at any of our centers across the various parts of Delhi.

Ayurveda is an ancient system of Indian medicine wherein it is believed that when there is an imbalance in one of the three doshas (Vata, Pitta and Kapha), diseases start to occur. The three doshas represent three physiological states of human beings. Here are some well-known Ayurvedic herbs which are known to cure various cancers such as colon cancer and other cancers of the digestive system:

1. Ashwagandha: Ashwagandha is an adaptogen (a natural stress reliever), the reason why it is used to treat many diseases. Ashwagandha is able to inhibit the growth of tumorous cells and even slows down the growth of cancerous cells.
2. Garlic: Garlic is a very powerful herb in treating cancer and it has been in use since ages now. Raw garlic, garlic juice and even soups made of garlic have all been used to treat cancer in people of all ages. In addition to colon cancer and other cancers of the digestive system, garlic can even cure brain cancer without harming the brain's good cells. This is also another medication which can be used with a large variety of illnesses.
3. Celandine: Celandine is a type of a poppy seed. It is known to treat colon cancer well as well as many other diseases due to the fact that it boosts the immune system. Asthma and atherosclerosis are some of the other diseases treated by this herb.
4. Turmeric: Turmeric is one of the best herbs in the world when it comes to treating various cancers. The circumins present in turmeric make the cancer cells destroy themselves.
5. Green tea: Green tea is yet another healing remedy for various diseases. It has been said that green tea does not only have the ability to stop cancerous cells from growing, but it can also kill the cancerous cells without harming your body greatly. Green tea also helps in curing brain tumors completely.

Skin cancer is a condition with abnormal and cancerous skin growth. This often develops due to the over exposure of skin to the sun rays. The three main types of skin cancer include basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and melanoma. Skin cancer affects those areas of skin which remains sun-exposed, including ears, neck, chest, scalp, lips, face, hands, arm and legs. It can also develop on those areas of skin that are not exposed to sunlight like beneath toenails or fingernails, on palms and on genital area.

Here are some of the factors which increase your risks of getting skin cancer:

1. Fair complexion: Low levels of the pigment melanin in skin causes fair complexion. Fair- skinned individuals who have a history of hazel or blue eyes, repeated sunburns and people who have red or blond hair are highly susceptible to developing this form of cancer. Less pigment in skin makes an individual more vulnerable to skin damage from harmful UV radiation.
2. Excessive sun exposure: Exposure to the sun may lead to the development of skin cancer, if you don't protect your skin by sunscreen and clothing. Tanning beds and lamps may also increase the risk of developing this type of skin cancer.                                           
3. High-altitude places: The exposure to sunlight is more intense in areas of high altitude and near the equator. Living at higher elevation also makes you more vulnerable to radiation because the sunlight is strongest there.
4. Moles: People with abnormal moles are at a higher risk of developing skin cancer. These moles are irregular in shape and are larger than normal moles.
5. Precancerous skin lesions: Your risk of developing skin cancer increases if you have skin lesion. These are scaly and rough patches that range from brown to dark pink in color. The most commonly affected areas are head, hands and face of fair-skinned people.
6. Weak immune system: Weak immune system caused by HIV or AIDS and immunosuppressant drugs that you take after an organ transplant may increase your risk of developing skin cancer. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a dermatologist.

The Pap Smear Test or the Pap Test is a screening test for cervical cancer. This test helps in detecting the possible growth and presence of precancerous as well as cancerous cells within the cervix - the opening of the uterus. This test was named after the doctor who discovered its use when it comes to detecting the signs of the early onset of this kind of cancer.

Let us find out more about the Pap Smear Test:

• Reasons: The main reason behind getting a Pap Smear Test done on a regular basis is to rule out any risk or sign of cervical cancer. Also, it can help in detecting the 40 sexually transmitted viruses that may be lurking around in your system. It is a fact that genital warts are born from the presence of the Human Papillomavirus or HPV which can be of 100 different types - out of which 40 lead to STDs. These STDs can be the start point of cervical cancer.
• HPV and the Pap Smear test: The Pap Smear Test may not be able to detect the exact kind of virus, but it can easily detect any cellular growth and changes that may be caused due to the virus. This helps in homing on to the risk or the beginning of cancer. In case this is detected, then the treatment can start before the problem becomes too difficult to manage.
• Candidates: The perfect candidates for the Pap Smear Test include women who have crossed the age of 21 years or above. Also, women who have a weak immune system due to the presence of the HIV virus also need to get this test done regularly as they are prone to risk of contracting cancer and infections, more than others. Once a woman over 30 years of age has had three normal Pap Smear readings in a row, she can ask her doctor to schedule her for a Pap Smear Test once in five years.
• Preparation: To begin with, you must ensure that you are not menstruating on the day of the test, in which case it will have to be rescheduled. Avoid having sex at least a few nights before the test as well.
• Procedure: The procedure for the test is pretty quick, but a little uncomfortable. The doctor will ask you to lie down before putting your legs up in stirrups and then insert a speculum into the vagina so as to extract sample cells for testing. The scraping action may cause mild pain later.

Get in touch with your doctor about getting regular Pap Smears to rule out the possibility of cervical cancer.