By Shweta Srinivasan
New Delhi, Jan 19 (IANS) Forty-nine year old Khadija, a resident of Kabul, suffered for over a year from what her doctors called menopausal bleeding. Seeking proper treatment she chose India, ruling out nearby Pakistan for fear of being a victim of terror attacks.

Here, she was diagnosed with uterine cancer, operated on and declared cancer-free within a week.

Khadija had experienced a harrowing time back in Kabul when doctors could not control and treat what they thought was severe perimenopausal bleeding. She was directed to go to Peshawar’s Rahman Medical Centre for further probe. Doctors there too despaired since medication wasn’t helping Khadija.

“We had visited Peshawar three times in three months for treatment but there was no improvement. That’s when our physician at Peshawar said that technologically advanced testing and surgical expertise in India was an option. Having seen little success in Pakistan and with the poor security situation there we choose to come here,” Ahmed Siyar, Khadija’s nephew, told IANS.

In December, Siyar accompanied his aunt and uncle to Saket’s Max Healthcare hospital here which offers tertiary care in gynaecology.

For Khadija and her family, however, the nightmare was not over yet. Around two weeks ago a biopsy revealed stage-1 uterine cancer, commonly found in women typically occurring within a few years of menopause.

“I was very scared when doctors mentioned that it may be cancer. Tests confirmed this, but in few days after surgery I was able to walk around and up and down the stairs,” a relieved Khadija said.

Her doctor Urvashi Prasad Jha said that since Khadija has no children and was hypertensive she was more prone to such cancer.

“We had to operate and performed a laparoscopic (minimal invasive) procedure on Jan 7. She was discharged in three days. We have removed the cancer. She will now be consulting doctors for managing her cancer periodically,” Jha, who is director, gynaecology, Max Healthcare, told IANS.

She added that most women attribute irregular or excessive bleeding after the age of 40 to menopause. “But it could be cancer and most women delay treatment.”

Jha, who has been performing surgeries on uterine cancers for nearly two decades, said she had seen a “fair number” of such patients from abroad wanting better care and expertise.

Siyar said that although treatment in India worked out more expensive owing to lodging costs and higher consultation fees, the treatment “is more effective”.

“Getting a visa for treatment in India is very simple. Here the service is far better. I know many other people from Kabul who have come here and to Max for treatment. My aunt is so happy and I relieved that the treatment was quick and good,” said Siyar, who will take his aunt back home soon.

(Shweta Srinivasan can be contacted at shweta.s@ians.in)