What is Cancer? How to Battle the Disease?

Posted on: Dec 19, 2022 | | Written by:

What is Cancer? How to Battle the Disease?

Published on December 19, 2022. EST READ TIME: 4 minutes

You can lead a healthy lifestyle and eat a nutritious diet, yet your life can come to a screeching halt if you learn that you have cancer. It is a dreaded ailment that accounts for millions of deaths every year. While an early diagnosis can speed up the recovery, usually, the treatment can be physically and emotionally draining. In this situation, you don’t want additional financial stress. You can easily afford the high medical cost of this ailment with a Mediclaim Policy with cancer coverage. Read on to learn what makes cancer so dangerous and why health insurance for cancer patients in India is a must.

What is Cancer?

Our body consists of trillions of cells that grow and multiply to form new cells when the body needs them. When cells get damaged or grow old, they die, and new cells take their place. Cancer starts when genetic changes break this orderly process, and the damaged or abnormal cells grow uncontrollably, forming tumours. There is a delay in the natural death of these abnormal cells. A tumour can be cancerous or benign. Cancerous tumours can grow and spread to other parts of the body, but a benign tumour can grow but will not spread. In terms of mortality rates, cancer ranks second worldwide.

Why is Cancer Deadly?

In cancer, the abnormal cells do not die but grow uncontrollably and spread to all parts of the body, weakening our immune system. When detected and treated in the early stages, Cancer can be cured. Cancer becomes deadly when it affects vital organs such as the brain, lungs, and liver and disturbs their proper functioning. As a result, the oxygen supply gets reduced, and waste products build up, eventually leading to death. It becomes difficult to control cancer as it spreads throughout the body. While some types of cancer spread slowly, other types spread rapidly.

Types of Cancer

According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), the number of Indians suffering from cancer is estimated to increase to 29.8 million in 2025. In 2021, the estimated number of people with cancer was 26.7 million. As per the National Cancer Registry Programme report, every year, more than 13.9 lakh people get affected by this disease, and in 2020, the total number of deaths due to cancer was 8.5 lakh. In India, the most common forms of cancerare breast cancer, cervical cancer, lung cancer and oral cancer though there are over 100 types of cancer affecting any part of the body.

Misconceptions about Cancer

There are some myths surrounding cancer which can be worrisome and also hinder its prevention and treatment. Let’s bust these myths:

•Cancer is contagious:

Cancer itself is not contagious; it cannot spread from one person to another. However, sometimes infectious viruses can cause cancer, such as Human papillomavirus (HPV), a sexually transmitted infection causing cervical cancer, and Hepatitis B or C, which is transmitted through sexual intercourse or infected IV needles causing liver cancer.

•Cell phones cause cancer:

As of now, there’s no evidence to support this. When exposed to ionizing radiation such as X-rays, there’s a risk of getting cancer. But cell phones emit non-ionizing radiation.

•Herbal treatments can cure cancer:

There’s no scientific study to show that cancer can be cured or treated with herbal medicines. However, herbal treatments are found to be effective in helping cancer patients cope with the side effects of cancer treatment. Alternative therapies such as yoga, acupuncture, and meditation help with the psychological stress associated with cancer.

•Cancer is genetic:

Only 5-10% of cancers are inherited, while the remaining 90-95% develop with age and exposure to environmental factors.

•Artificial sweeteners cause cancer:

Artificial sweeteners do not contain any ingredients or chemicals that increase the risk of cancer. There’s no study to prove a link between cancer and artificial sweeteners.

•Cancer surgery causes cancer to spread:

It’s a myth that cancers exposed to air or punctured by a needle during surgery will spread to other tissues in the body. With advancements in medical science and surgeons taking all preventive measures during surgery, this is not a reality.

•Cancer means the end of life:

Not at all. The survival rates have increased though the recovery rates vary depending on the type of cancer. According to a study, in the UK, the survival rates doubled in the last 40 years. The National Cancer Institute states that the 5-year survival rate for all types of cancer stands at about 68%. The main reasons for the rise in survival rate include early detection, treatment, and how much the cancer has spread throughout the body.

Battling the Disease

The first question people may ask after being diagnosed with cancer is, “Why me”? They can feel shattered, nervous, scared, depressed and in denial. They may even stop interacting with people. However, experts say that since cancer is not under our control, the best way to battle the disease is being hopeful. A positive attitude and hope give courage, help you stay afloat in such difficult times, and live longer without fear or stress. Hope and a positive attitude will help you to cope with any ailment, including cancer and bounce back to life. Every morning waking up with a positive feeling that nothing is wrong with you will help you stay happy and add more meaning to life.

Importance of Insurance

Given the steady rise in Cancer cases and high treatment costs, having Cancer insurance is, undoubtedly, a wise decision. If you have a health insurance plan, it may not cover all your medical expenses and hence, it is recommended to have a critical illness insurance policy or a Cancer specific insurance. Critical illness insurance is a benefit plan, which means, a lump sum amount (sum insured) will be provided to the policyholder in one single transaction on diagnosis of any of the critical illnesses (as mentioned in the policy) including Cancer. The money can be used for care and treatment, recovery and also to pay off debts or mortgages. You can also avail tax deductions. But the lump sum benefit comes into effect after a survival period of 30 days.

Why Should You Buy HDFC Ergo's Cancer Insurance Policy?

There are many reasons why you should go for iCan Cancer Insurance by HDFC Ergo, such as:

•My care benefit:

All your treatments, from chemotherapy to stem cell transplant, will be covered. The inpatient and outpatient expenses are also taken care of by iCan.

•Criticare benefits:

If cancer is of specified severity (as defined in the policy), you will get an additional 60% of the sum insured as a lumpsum amount.

•Family Care benefit:

If the cancer detected is in stage IV or it recurs, the family will get 100% of the sum insured as a lump sum payment.

•Cashless treatment:

You can avail of the cashless facility in any of the 12,000+ network hospitals of HDFC ERGO.

•Pre& post-hospitalisation:

Insurance will pay for the diagnosis and treatment costs up to 30 days prior to hospitalisation and offers follow-up care up to 60 days after you are discharged from the hospital.

•Emergency ambulance:

In case of emergency, you will be reimbursed up to Rs 2,000 per hospitalisation for a road ambulance.

•Follow-up care:

You can avail of a follow-up care benefit of up to Rs 3,000 twice a year.

•Tax benefits:

Under Section 80D of the Income Tax Act, you can avail of tax benefits of up to Rs 25,000. Please note that there’s a waiting period of 4 months from the date your policy starts.

Disclaimer: The above information is for illustrative purpose only. For more details, please refer to policy wordings and prospectus before concluding the sales.

Conclusion

If you’re worried about your parents, it would be a wise decision to invest in a parents’ health insurance plan. Yes, you will feel jittery knowing that you or your loved one has been diagnosed with cancer. And with so many misconceptions about the dreaded disease, it is natural to feel overwhelmed and lose hope. But the best way to deal with the disease is to stay positive. Talk to your doctor, learn everything about the disease and its timely treatment and it will help you cope with it and its side effects. After you have been diagnosed, buy a cancer insurance plan at the earliest, which will take care of your financial worries.

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