With an estimated 9.6 million deaths worldwide, cancer is the second-greatest cause of death. World Cancer Day is celebrated around the globe on February 4 every year. It was an initiative of the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) to raise and spread awareness and education about cancer.
The theme for 2024’s World Cancer Day is “Close the Care Gap”. This theme underscores the critical need to ensure that all individuals, regardless of their background, socioeconomic status, or geographic location, have equitable access to prevention, screening, diagnosis, treatment, and supportive care services for cancer.
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Indian Celebs who survived cancer
If timely treated, one can beat cancer. Let us take a look at some Indian celebrities who have beaten cancer.
Anurag Basu
Bollywood director Anurag Basu was diagnosed with blood cancer in 2004 while he was filming for Gangster. The doctors believed that he had less than two weeks to live. He was admitted to the Tata Memorial Hospital, where he was on a ventilator. Basu received chemotherapy. He returned to the shoot as well after some time. Now he is completely healed and feels blessed to have a caring family around him.
Kirron Kher
Actress Kirron Kher received a diagnosis of a blood cancer called multiple myeloma in 2021. Her health and immunity were at risk due to the disease, and she was not allowed to travel anywhere. She received treatment for quite a while and had to visit the hospital every month. But eventually, she recovered from the illness and is now back on the set. It was one of the most relieving news stories for Anupam Kher.
Lisa Ray
Lisa is an Indian-Canadian actress and model who came to fame with the movie ‘Kasoor’. During her 2009 Toronto International Film Festival appearance, Ray disclosed that she had received a multiple myeloma diagnosis. In order to treat her uncommon disease, Ray underwent a stem cell transplant on Christmas in 2009. She declared in April 2010 that the transplant had helped her beat cancer.
Mahima Chaudhry
The protagonist of the movie Pardes, Mahima Chaudhry, suffered from breast cancer in 2022. Mahima had chemotherapy, and in Anupam Kher’s video, she was seen sporting a shaved head. She received the necessary treatment and was reported to be cancer-free soon.
Manisha Koirala
The ‘Dil Se’ actress was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and was admitted to a hospital in Kathmandu. Later, Manisha flew to the US, where she got her cancer removed through surgery. She spent several months in New York for post-cancer treatment. She is actively interested in raising awareness of the condition after overcoming cancer.
Sanjay Dutt
Sanjay Dutt is a Bollywood actor who predominantly works in Hindi films. In August 2020, Dutt received a stage 4 lung cancer diagnosis. But he always remained positive and believed that he would definitely fight this illness. After undergoing treatment in Mumbai, he is now free of lung cancer.
Sonali Bendre
Bendre said on July 4, 2018, that she was receiving treatment in a hospital in New York City for a metastatic cancer diagnosis. The actress was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer; however, she went cancer-free in 2021. Since then, she has been assisting those who have survived cancer. She continues, “In whatever capacity I can, I will always be there to help and support the cause of cancer survivors.”
Tahira Kashyap
Ayushmann Khurrana’s wife, Tahira, a writer and filmmaker, had a stage 0 breast cancer diagnosis in 2018 and went through a mastectomy. She has spoken up a lot about her experience and fight with cancer over the years. She eventually fully recovered from it.
