Mrs. Renuka Prasad, Honorary Secretary, Indian Cancer Society Delhi

How to Cope With a Cancer Diagnosis — For Patients, Families and Caregivers

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A cancer survivor, honorary secretary of the Indian Cancer Society Delhi, shares what nobody tells you about the emotional side of cancer.

Mrs. Renuka Prasad, Honorary Secretary, Indian Cancer Society Delhi
Mrs. Renuka Prasad, Honorary Secretary, Indian Cancer Society Delhi

When someone in your family gets diagnosed with cancer, the first few hours are a blur. There is the doctor’s voice, the medical terms, the paperwork. And then there is the drive home, where nobody says anything and everyone is thinking the same thing: what happens now? how to cope with cancer diagnosis?

Most conversations about cancer focus on treatment. Which hospital, which doctor, which therapy. And those conversations matter enormously. But there is a whole other part of this journey that rarely gets talked about: the fear, the grief, the isolation, the financial panic, the toll it takes on marriages and children and the person quietly holding it all together at home.

Mrs. Renuka Prasad knows both sides of this. She is a breast cancer survivor, diagnosed in 1997 and has spent nearly three decades since then working with the Indian Cancer Society Delhi to make sure no patient or caregiver has to face the emotional side of cancer alone. She is also the Honorary Secretary of ICS Delhi.

What she shared is honest, warm and deeply necessary.

‘The Day I Saw My Scar, I Felt Like My World Had Ended’

Mrs. Prasad does not speak about her cancer diagnosis from a distance. She speaks about it the way someone does when they have lived every moment of it.

She was a socially active woman, deeply involved in her community through the Army Wives Welfare Association, when she was diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent a full mastectomy. The morning she first saw her scar, she felt, in her own words, like her world had ended.

“When I saw that scar for the first time, I felt like how will I go out and face society now? My body felt asymmetrical. I was a very socially active woman and I thought, my life is over.” — Mrs. Renuka Prasad, Honorary Secretary, Indian Cancer Society Delhi Branch

What changed things was not more medical information. It was a person. Someone from the Indian Cancer Society’s Cancer Sahyog unit came to see her, sat with her and told her about breast prosthesis, a simple thing that most women are never told about after a mastectomy. One conversation. One piece of information. And her smile came back.

“That one thing brought the smile back on my face. And I thought, if I can live like this and encourage others, why not? At that moment I felt God was waking something inside me: you have done enough other work, now get up and do something for others.” — Mrs. Renuka Prasad, Honorary Secretary, Indian Cancer Society Delhi Branch

She has been doing exactly that since 1998.

What Is Psycho-Oncology and Why Does It Matter?

Psycho-oncology is a field that addresses the psychological, emotional, social and behavioural aspects of cancer, for both patients and their families. In simple terms, it is the recognition that cancer does not just affect the body. It affects the mind, the relationships, the identity, the sense of future.

In India, this field is still finding its footing. Most cancer care focuses heavily on the clinical side and rightly so. But Mrs. Prasad has watched what happens when the emotional side gets left behind.

“It is not just the patient. If a woman is sick at home, the whole support system collapses. Who will send the children to school? Who will cook? And on top of that she is worrying about whether her children are being stigmatised at school, whether her husband sees her as a person or just a burden. These emotional drains are very real.” — Mrs. Renuka Prasad, Honorary Secretary, Indian Cancer Society Delhi Branch

The financial weight compounds everything. New therapies like immunotherapy and CAR-T therapy offer real hope but cost lakhs, sometimes crores. Families take on debt, sell assets and exhaust savings, all while trying to show up strong for the person going through treatment.

And then there is the stigma. The neighbour who stops sending food because she worries cancer might be contagious. The relative who quietly distances themselves. The children who come home from school having been told to stay away from their classmates.

“Cancer is not a chhua-chhoot ki bimari(infectious). It does not spread from person to person. But stigma isolates families at the exact moment they need community most.” — Mrs. Renuka Prasad, Honorary Secretary, Indian Cancer Society Delhi Branch

Caregivers Carry More Than Anyone Sees

If patients are the most visible part of the cancer journey, caregivers are the most invisible. They are the ones who wake up at 3am, who drive to every appointment, who manage the medicines and the meals and the emotions of everyone around them, all while quietly suppressing their own.

Mrs. Prasad talks about caregivers with a particular tenderness.

“The caregiver is a very different kind of person. They hold back their own grief and sadness to give strength to the one they are caring for. And the closer that relationship is, the harder it is. It is a very sacred relationship.” — Mrs. Renuka Prasad, Honorary Secretary, Indian Cancer Society Delhi Branch

What caregivers need, she says, is not just practical guidance but a shift in how they are counselled. Too often, well-meaning people treat the patient as fragile, as someone to be pitied. This, she argues, does the opposite of helping.

“Do not say, ‘Oh poor you, how will you manage?’ That destroys their self-confidence. And you are also breaking the family. The right message to a caregiver is: walk with them confidently. Your strength becomes their strength.” — Mrs. Renuka Prasad, Honorary Secretary, Indian Cancer Society Delhi Branch

She also has direct advice for patients and families about toxic people in their lives: set boundaries without guilt. Not everyone who visits means well. Some people, even within families, bring discouragement instead of support. Politely, firmly, limit those interactions.

“Stay away from toxic people. Close the door for them. Just hello, how are you, finished. Not more than that.” — Mrs. Renuka Prasad, Honorary Secretary, Indian Cancer Society Delhi Branch

Mental Health Is Not a Luxury During Cancer. It Is Part of the Treatment.

One of the most powerful things Mrs. Prasad said in the conversation was about how deeply the mind affects physical recovery. It is not a soft idea. There is real clinical weight to it.

“If you keep thinking, I am gone, I am finished, it happens. But if you go into your treatment the way you go into an exam, with confidence that you will pass, even the medicine works better. Mental health is a very big psychological factor and it has to be dealt with.” — Mrs. Renuka Prasad, Honorary Secretary, Indian Cancer Society Delhi Branch

She is careful to distinguish between toxic positivity and genuine hope. You do not have to pretend everything is fine. You do not have to perform cheerfulness for the people around you. But you also cannot let fear run the show.

India, she notes, has been late to this conversation, not uniquely, but noticeably. We are a culture that sometimes reaches for superstition before psychology, that sometimes treats emotional distress as weakness. But things are changing. Public figures talking about their own mental health journeys have helped. Government helplines are being set up. Awareness is slowly building.

The cancer community cannot wait for that shift to happen on its own. It has to lead it.

Why Kiran Exists: Because Nobody Should Walk This Alone

The Indian Cancer Society Delhi launched the Kiran Campaign with a simple belief at its centre: that emotional support is not optional in cancer care. It is essential.

Mrs. Prasad, who has lived this belief for nearly 30 years, understood it immediately.

“Loneliness is what eats you. It causes immense pain. So if someone is with you on that journey, walking alongside you, telling you things at the right time, that makes all the difference.” — Mrs. Renuka Prasad, Honorary Secretary, Indian Cancer Society Delhi Branch

Kiran is also a 24/7 AI-powered chatbot on the Indian Cancer Society Delhi website, available to anyone who needs guidance on ICS services, support resources or simply does not know where to start.

Mrs. Prasad also pointed to the Rise Against Cancer app, built by ICS Delhi, as a resource that takes a 360-degree view of the cancer journey covering complementary therapies, mental health support and practical guidance all in one place.

“We want to cover every sphere, every angle of cancer, not just medically. Insurance, education continuity, job continuity, mental health. The Rise Against Cancer app covers all of it, 360 degrees, so you know where to go for whatever you need.” — Mrs. Renuka Prasad, Honorary Secretary, Indian Cancer Society Delhi Branch

A Message for Anyone Going Through This Right Now

When asked what she would say to a patient or caregiver who is feeling overwhelmed right now, Mrs. Prasad did not reach for statistics or medical advice. She reached for something simpler.

“Life is beautiful. Make that your motto. Negative vibes give you negativity. But if there is positivity within you, the medicine also works better and you come through this faster. Remember: it never lasts. Tomorrow always comes. And it brings a new kiran with it. Wait for it. Hope for it.” — Mrs. Renuka Prasad, Honorary Secretary, Indian Cancer Society Delhi Branch

That is the whole point. Not that cancer is easy or fair or that positive thinking cures everything. But that the emotional side of this journey deserves as much attention, as much care and as much support as the clinical side. And that nobody, not the patient, not the caregiver, not the family quietly falling apart at home, should have to face it alone.

Be someone’s kiran. Or let someone be yours.

Either way, you do not have to do this alone.

Looking for support?

  • Download the Rise Against Cancer app for 360-degree cancer support resources.
  • Chat with Kiran 24/7 on indiancancersocietydelhi.in for guidance, services and emotional support.
  • Share this with someone in your life who needs to hear that they are not alone.

Want to Hear More?

Listen to the full conversation with Mrs. Renuka Prasad on the Indian Cancer Society’s podcast:

This article is based on an interview with Mrs. Renuka Prasad, Honorary Secretary, Indian Cancer Society Delhi Branch, conducted as part of the Indian Cancer Society’s Kiran Initiative.
For cancer support, screening information and resources, visit indiancancersocietydelhi.in or download the Rise Against Cancer app.

By Sonakshi Arora
Initiative by Group Imagination Unleashed

Toxic Positivity and Cancer Patients: When “Being Positive” Becomes a Burden

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Positivity is often seen as a solution to everything. From social media posts to everyday conversations, we are constantly told that staying positive can fix even the toughest situations. However, when it comes to serious illnesses like cancer, this idea can sometimes turn harmful. This is where the concept of toxic positivity comes in — the pressure to stay happy and hopeful even when someone is suffering deeply.

Cancer is not just a physical illness. It affects a person emotionally, mentally, and socially. Patients experience fear, pain, uncertainty, anger, and exhaustion. Yet, instead of being allowed to feel these emotions, they are often told things like “stay strong,” “don’t think negative,” or “everything will be fine.” While these statements may come from a place of concern, they often ignore what the patient is actually going through.

Why do you think toxic positivity is especially harmful for cancer patients?

Responding to this, Anchal Sharma explained that toxic positivity makes negative emotions seem unacceptable. She shared that when patients are constantly pushed to be positive, they feel pressured to hide their pain just to make others comfortable. “When positivity is forced on cancer patients, it makes them feel like their fear or sadness is wrong,” she said. Instead of feeling supported, patients may feel emotionally misunderstood and isolated.

This emotional isolation can lead patients to stop sharing their true feelings and pretend they are okay, even when they are struggling deeply.

We often hear phrases like ‘everything happens for a reason.’ How do such statements affect patients?

Anchal pointed out that toxic positivity also appears in everyday language. Common phrases like “everything happens for a reason” or “others have it worse” may sound comforting, but they often shut down meaningful conversations. “These statements stop patients from expressing what they are actually going through,” Anchal said. Rather than helping, such remarks can make patients feel guilty for feeling low or scared during their journey.

So what kind of support do cancer patients actually need?

According to Anchal, what cancer patients truly need is empathy, not motivation. They need people who can listen without trying to fix their emotions or offer constant advice. “Sometimes, just saying ‘I understand this is hard’ matters more than giving hope-filled advice,” she shared. Allowing patients to talk freely about their fears helps them feel heard and less alone.

From a broader perspective, the discussion made it clear that positivity is not bad — but it should never be compulsory. It is completely normal for cancer patients to have bad days. Feeling sad or scared does not mean they are weak or giving up. Healing is not only about medical treatment; it also involves emotional acceptance.

In the end, moving away from toxic positivity means choosing kindness over comfort and understanding over quick reassurance. By creating space for honest emotions, we can support cancer patients in a way that feels real, respectful, and truly human.

By Unnati Saxena
Initiative by Group Imagination Unleashed

Does Hope help us heal? Yes! And here’s how!

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People often think that healing from an illness or an injury only happens with the help of medicine and treatments, but hope also plays a pivotal role in the healing process.

Hope is a very interesting word. For some it’s simply that, a word, but for some, it’s something that gives them reason to get up in the morning. Everyone says that having hope heals is, it keeps us alive and it keeps us wishing for something more, which ultimately leads us to working for that something.

Many however question whether hope truly helps us heal. The answer to that is yes. Hope is something that helps us heal some of the most traumatising and deep wounds. Both physical and mental. Hope is not just thinking positively or staying happy. Hope is believing that you will heal and that things will get better. Hope is believing that it will always get better. People tend to get discouraged and sad when they or people they love get injured or suffer from an illness, but it is extremely important that they believe and that they hold onto hope. This is not only to feel better, but having hope can actually hasten the healing process.

If someone keeps having hope, their healing process becomes better, maybe not by an astonishing degree, but by a good degree nonetheless. Having hope strengthens a person’s will and their motivation to heal quicker.

The Medical Aspect

Beyond the psychological aspect, hope is medically proven to heal people quicker. Our brain, when it’s not at war with emotions or doesn’t feel desolate, tends to work much better and more efficiently. When a person feels hopeful and positive, endorphins and enkephalins are released in their brains. This helps lessen the pain and subsequently the medicines. In addition to that, cortisol, which is the stress hormone, also gets lowered when someone feels hopeful and positive. This helps people lessen their stress levels which are known inhibitors of the healing process, thus catalysing the process and quickening the process.

The most interesting yet simple thing hope can help achieve is the placebo effect. Placebo effect is when someone believes a certain thing, often untrue and their body starts behaving in the manner. When a person who has hope starts believing that they’re healing and they’re getting better, their body starts responding accordingly. The placebo effect has been tested multiple times and is known to work for many cases. It means having a hopeful mindset can quicken your body healing by a large percentage.

The Caregivers

One thing that many people seem to ignore or not pay enough attention to, are the caregivers. Whilst it is imperative for the patients themselves to hold on to hope, the caregivers should not feel demotivated either. The caregivers cannot feel the medical benefit of having hope, but the psychological benefits more than make up for that.

The caregivers, when they are hopeful, are of the more help to the patient to heal. A positive and motivated atmosphere is an integral part of healing and is non-negotiable. The caregivers do feel exhausted and sad, sometimes even more than the patient, and that is completely fine. One shouldn’t suppress their emotions but should rather express them and deal with them in order to feel happy and healthy again.

Mind and body

The mind and body are one. Whilst one works, the other complements it. The brain needs to be at a good place for the body to do its job and that’s exactly what hope helps us with. Hope doesn’t have to be something big, some grand gesture or declaration. Hope can be simple day to day activities. Hope can be waking up and going about your day exactly like you would believing that you will heal soon. It can be not changing your bonds, and calling people when you feel like talking.

People don’t have to figure things out by themselves. They can reach out to people and people who aren’t suffering from injuries or illnesses can be the people that can help others find hope and happiness. For most people hope isn’t the big things, it’s the little things that make them feel happy and powerful. That’s what hope is and that’s what helps people heal quicker and in a more holistic way. Having hope does help, and it makes life just that much easier.

By Riya Dubey
Initiative by Group Imagination Unleashed

Kiran: Understanding the Emotional Ocean during Cancer Care

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Cancer. One word enough to scare even the most fearless person.

There are moments in life when things feel too scary to make sense of or talk to someone about.

When advice feels heavy and the burden to stay strong feels overwhelming.

And in those moments, what helps most is not answers.
It is presence.

In Hindi, Kiran means a ray of light.
A light of hope that finds its way through even the smallest opening during difficult moments.

Not a spotlight.
Not something overwhelming.
Just a small, steady glow that reminds you that you are not alone.

That is where we found our Kiran.

Why We Chose the Name Kiran

Cancer is often spoken in terms of medical treatment plans, reports, numbers and outcomes. All of this truly matters, but the emotional side is mostly neglected and overlooked.

The silence.
The fear.
The exhaustion.
The days when hope feels strong, and the days when it feels impossible to hold on to.

Kiran was born from the understanding that healing is not only medical. It is emotional. It is human.

We chose the name Kiran because it represents something gentle. Something realistic. Something that does not demand positivity or strength. Just presence.

What is Emotional Support During Cancer When Words Feel Heavy

A person who listens without trying to fix.
A moment of comfort without questions.
A space where it is okay to feel tired.

A place where everyone is recognised from patients, caregivers, survivors and healthcare providers.

Kiran Really Stands For

Kiran is not a person.
Kiran is not a programme.

Kiran is about being there.

It is about emotional support during cancer care.
It is about acknowledging that mental health matters just as much as physical health.
It is about creating conversations around feelings that people often hide because they do not want to seem weak.

At Indian Cancer Society, Kiran represents our focus on psycho-oncology. This is the aspect of cancer care that looks at the emotional, psychological, and social impact of the illness on patients, caregivers, families, and even healthcare professionals.

There are moments during a cancer journey when questions feel heavy.

Not medical questions.
But emotional ones.

Questions like:
Is it okay to feel this tired?
Why does hope feel so hard today?
Who do I talk to when I don’t want to worry my family?

Kiran exists for those moments too.

As part of this initiative, the Indian Cancer Society is introducing Kiran, a gentle conversational space on its website where people can ask questions, share what they’re feeling, or simply start a conversation when they don’t know where to begin.

This space is not about giving perfect answers.
It is about offering emotional support during cancer, without judgement or pressure.

For some, it may just be a place to ask a small question.
For others, it may become a way to connect with the Indian Cancer Society and speak to someone when they feel ready.

Because mental health in cancer care matters.
And sometimes, emotional support begins with knowing that help is accessible.

Kiran is meant to be that first step.
Quiet. Supportive. Always there.

When Hope Feels Heavy

We often tell people going through cancer to “stay positive.”
It comes from a good place.
But sometimes, it adds pressure.

What happens when someone does not feel hopeful?
What happens when fear feels louder than faith?
What happens when exhaustion takes over?

Kiran exists to say this clearly.
It is okay to not feel okay.

Hope does not always look like smiling.
Sometimes, hope looks like rest.
Sometimes, hope looks like crying without apology.
Sometimes, hope looks like saying, “I cannot do this alone.”

According to studies highlighted in the Oncology Nurse Advisor Report, social support has a positive effect on cancer patients’ physical health, emotional wellbeing and overall quality of life.

Through Kiran, we want to normalise these emotions. We want patients and caregivers to know that vulnerability is not weakness. It is honesty.

The Emotional Side of Cancer Care

Cancer care often focuses on treatment, which is necessary and life-saving. But emotional wellbeing is just as important.

Patients may struggle with fear, anxiety, body image issues and loss of control.
Caregivers may feel guilt, burnout and constant emotional fatigue.
Families may not know what to say or how to behave.

Even healthcare professionals are not immune. Witnessing illness every day can take an emotional toll.

Kiran opens space for these conversations. Through workshops, podcasts, blogs, community activities and storytelling, the initiative focuses on how people can support each other better.

Not through big gestures.
But through small, thoughtful ones.

#BeSomeonesKiran

The hashtag #BeSomeonesKiran is an invitation.

It does not ask you to fix someone’s pain.
It does not ask you to have the right words.
It simply asks you to show up.

You can be someone’s Kiran by listening without interrupting.
By sitting quietly when words feel unnecessary.
By checking in, even when you do not know what to say.
By respecting silence instead of filling it with advice.

Being someone’s Kiran does not require expertise.
It requires empathy.

Small Acts Matter More Than We Think

Often, people hesitate because they fear saying the wrong thing.
So they say nothing.

Kiran challenges that silence.

Sometimes, a message that says “I am here” is enough.
Sometimes, sharing a meal matters more than giving advice.
Sometimes, acknowledging someone’s pain without trying to minimise it brings comfort.

Through Kiran, we want to remind people that emotional safety is healing. When people feel understood, supported, and accepted, it lightens the weight they carry.

A Community-Led Movement

Kiran is not meant to exist only online or within organisations.
It is meant to live in conversations.
In homes.
In hospitals.
In communities.

This initiative brings together survivors, caregivers, mental health professionals, doctors, volunteers, and everyday people. Each voice adds to the collective understanding of what compassionate care truly looks like.

The goal is simple.
To make cancer care more human.

A Gentle Reminder

Kiran is not about constant light.
It is about light that appears when things feel darkest.

You do not have to be strong every day.
You do not have to be hopeful all the time.
You just have to know that support exists.

And sometimes, you might be that support for someone else.

So today, if you can, pause and ask yourself a simple question.
Who can I be a Kiran for?

Because even the smallest light can change how a journey feels.

#BeSomeonesKiran

Before you move on, pause for a moment and think about this.
Who has been your Kiran?

It might be someone who checked in when you didn’t know how to ask for help.
Someone who stayed, even in silence.
Someone whose presence made things feel a little less heavy.

If you feel like sharing, you can tell us about them on Instagram.
Use #BeSomeonesKiran and tag the Indian Cancer Society. Sometimes, stories help others feel less alone.

If you’re looking for support or want to understand this journey better, the Indian Cancer Society app brings together information, resources and guidance around cancer care, including emotional wellbeing. It’s there when you need it.

And if nothing else, carry this thought with you.
You don’t have to fix anyone’s pain.
You don’t have to have all the answers.

Just being there can be enough.

Be someone’s Kiran.

By Sonakshi Arora
Initiative by Group Imagination Unleashed