After graduating from school, life did not pan out the way Gaurav (real name changed) had hoped. He had thought that going to college would be the highlight of his life, but it ended up being a nightmare. The nightmare began with the appearance of a lump on the left side of his neck. He had little time to think about it because he was so focused on the entrance exams. After enrolling in his preferred stream at the top engineering school in the nation, he slowed down to celebrate his success. During this time, he began to pay closer attention to the lump in his neck, which was growing larger with each passing day.
His ordeal began with a trip to the hospital when the doctor speculated that it might be tuberculosis (TB), which is incredibly common in India. The results of Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology (FNAC) revealed that Gaurav had tuberculosis, and his treatment began right away. The lump in his neck did not, however, appear to be getting smaller despite months of treatment. Over the course of two years, he saw numerous doctors as the lump continued to enlarge and make it challenging for him to eat, speak, or even drink. Finally, Gaurav made the decision to meet an oncologist who might be able to provide him with some answers. After intense research, Gaurav contacted Dr. Shiva Kumar Uppala, an exceptional oncologist at OncoIndia.
Dr. Shiva Kumar, a specialist in the field, was aware that given Gaurav's symptoms, the likelihood of him having oral cancer was very high. Even though FNAC is regarded as the gold standard for cancer detection, Dr. Shiva Kumar notes that it occasionally fails to effectively identify cancers. Dr. Shiva Kumar performed a biopsy right away out of concern that they had already lost valuable time. The biopsy confirmed his initial diagnosis of oral cancer. Dr. Shiva Kumar says, "Unfortunately for Gaurav, the cancer had spread to such a degree that no amount of therapy could effectively cure it." Gaurav is currently receiving palliative care and chemotherapy to treat his symptoms and ease his suffering. "It's very unfortunate when patients have to bear the brunt of misdiagnosis and wrong treatment," says Dr Shiva Kumar.
Oral cancer has a very good prognosis when found early and properly treated. “Gaurav's circumstance serves as a reminder of how important it is to pay attention to the signals that our bodies are sending us. Think about cancer whenever you experience a symptom of any kind that does not go away within a few days,” suggests Dr. Shiva Kumar. When in doubt, it is always preferable to err on the side of caution, according to Dr. Shiva Kumar. In order to rule out cancer, he advises seeing an oncologist to have your symptoms evaluated.
