Namya Sinha

Health and Me

She Takes Charge: Eminent Women Oncologists Chart What Breast Cancer Care Needs Beyond Treatment

When a woman is diagnosed with <a href="https://www.healthandme.com/health/breast-cancer">breast cancer</a>, the conversation tends to centre on surgery, chemotherapy and targeted drugs. At <a href="https://www.timesnownews.com/initiatives/take-charge-breast-cancer-awareness" data-type="tilCustomLink" rel="noopener nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" rel= "noopener nofollow noreferrer" target= "_blank">She Takes Charge</a>, a unique forum held in Delhi, eminent women oncologists turned to what comes with it: the fear, the diet confusion, the follow-ups, the return to work, and beyond just treating the cancer.

<a href="https://www.timesnownews.com/initiatives/take-charge-breast-cancer-awareness" data-type="tilCustomLink" rel="noopener nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" rel= "noopener nofollow noreferrer" target= "_blank">She Takes Charge</a> brings leading women oncologists from across India onto one platform to improve breast cancer survivorship care. It extends the Take Charge campaign, launched by Novartis with Times Network in October 2025, which aims to help patients and their families advocate for themselves, hold informed discussions with their doctors and make the choices that are right for them. The campaign shifts the focus from survival alone to empowered living, with an emphasis on lowering the risk of recurrence while protecting quality of life. It reached around 90,000 people through its website last year.

The Delhi chapter, the first of the forum, was organised by Times Network and Novartis with the Hansa MedCell team, and was attended by oncologists in person and online. It is a pilot, meant to shape counselling toolkits for patients and paramedical staff around three themes: support, heal and empower.

In attendance were Dr Meenu Walia, Dr Pankaj Goyal, Dr Seema Singh, Dr Jyoti Wadhwa, Dr Priya Tiwari, Dr Saphalta Baghmar and Dr Kripa Bajaj. While, many joined virtually and included Dr Shalaka Joshi, Dr Shona Nag, Dr Jovita Martin and Dr Sailakshmi Dayana. Dr Priya Parmar, chief operating officer of the Indian Cancer Society in Delhi, who helped shape the Take Charge initiative, offered the patient perspective.

“We need women to be armed with information,” Dr Parmar said, adding that it must come in a language the patient understands. She noted that a simple question such as “what should I eat” can hide something larger: a woman now living on dal, bhaat and aloo, and feeling guilty about what her illness has cost her family.

Doctors suggested tailoring material by age, education and employment, and urged organisers to add economic status. Dr Dayana, a gynae-oncologist at Apollo Hyderabad, said women with a strong family history or a BRCA mutation need more intensive counselling, since they worry about what they may have passed on to their children. Others asked for separate content for women under 30, and for material that follows the treatment a patient is receiving.

Moderating the support segment, Dr Walia said the aim is “treating the woman in totality.” She argued that side effects should be anticipated and managed early, with the whole treating team, including nurses and paramedical staff, ready to answer simple questions on food and nausea. One oncologist said the antiemetic section of the toolkit should reflect that a 2.5 mg dose of olanzapine, tested in a Tata Memorial randomised trial, had led to a change in NCCN guidelines.

Doctors also spoke of the burden on the treating oncologist. Patients in India often expect one doctor to explain the diagnosis, the treatment, the diet and the exercise, and some consultations run to an hour. Participants called for trained support staff and counsellors to share the work.

<h2>Video, volunteers and time alone</h2>

Doctors agreed that patients forget much of what they hear in the consulting room. Many now ask patients to record counselling sessions, and Dr Dayana said she wished for “a better and animated, a better edited video” to offer instead. Video was also seen as the way to reach women outside the metros, who may not see a specialist often. Dr Joshi described pre- and post-operative classes at her hospital, led by patient volunteers for almost a decade and now being converted into a QR code. Dr Baghmar urged oncologists to give each patient five to ten minutes alone, away from family members who often speak for her.

Diet drew the liveliest debate, with sugar, keto diets and boiled fruit coming up repeatedly. Dr Joshi’s advice was simple: “roti, sabzi, dal, rice is a kind of a square Indian meal that cannot go wrong.” Another oncologist said she sets no restrictions beyond avoiding food that is too spicy, too oily or cooked by someone whose hygiene is unknown. One doctor raised weight gain after treatment, noting that some patients on endocrine therapy ask about weight-loss injections. The advice was to check thyroid function and see an endocrinologist, not to give blanket advice.

On exercise, doctors favoured mild activity such as walking and yoga during treatment and strength work afterwards, always cleared by the treating oncologist. The group agreed to build evidence-based consensus documents on diet and sexual well-being.

Participants asked for content on contraception, pregnancy after treatment, genetic testing, screening for other cancers, breast prostheses, health insurance and caregivers, described by one doctor as a neglected pillar of cancer care. Doctors also flagged two issues that are often missed. Young women need counselling on preserving their eggs before chemotherapy, and some patients develop shoulder and spine problems after mastectomy that are mistaken for other pain. Follow-up testing was another gap: doctors said some clinicians still order routine chest X-rays, and the group wants a consensus on which scans are needed.

Novartis demonstrated two tools: an offline HTML tool for HR-positive, HER2-negative early breast cancer that walks patients through a treatment plan, and a patient microsite that adds follow-ups and medication reminders to a phone calendar. Feedback from She Takes Charge will feed into a white paper.

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When a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer, the conversation tends to centre on surgery, chemotherapy and targeted drugs. At She Takes Charge, a unique forum held in Delhi, eminent women oncologists turned to what comes with it: the fear, the diet confusion, the follow-ups, the return to work, and beyond just treating the cancer. She Takes Charge brings leading women oncologists from across India onto one platform to improve breast cancer survivorship care. It extends the Take Charge campaign, launched by Novartis with Times Network in October 2025, which aims to help patients and their families advocate for themselves, hold informed discussions with their doctors and make the choices that are right for them. The campaign shifts the focus from survival alone to empowered living, with an emphasis on lowering the risk of recurrence while protecting quality of life. It reached around 90,000 people through its website last year. The Delhi chapter, the first of the forum, was organised by Times Network and Novartis with the Hansa MedCell team, and was attended by oncologists in person and online. It is a pilot, meant to shape counselling toolkits for patients and paramedical staff around three themes: support, heal and empower. In attendance were Dr Meenu Walia, Dr Pankaj Goyal, Dr Seema Singh, Dr Jyoti Wadhwa, Dr Priya Tiwari, Dr Saphalta Baghmar and Dr Kripa Bajaj. While, many joined virtually and included Dr Shalaka Joshi, Dr Shona Nag, Dr Jovita Martin and Dr Sailakshmi Dayana. Dr Priya Parmar, chief operating officer of the Indian Cancer Society in Delhi, who helped shape the Take Charge initiative, offered the patient perspective. Information in her own language “We need women to be armed with information,” Dr Parmar said, adding that it must come in a language the patient understands. She noted that a simple question such as “what should I eat” can hide something larger: a woman now living on dal, bhaat and aloo, and feeling guilty about what her illness has cost her family. One size does not fit Doctors suggested tailoring material by age, education and employment, and urged organisers to add economic status. Dr Dayana, a gynae-oncologist at Apollo Hyderabad, said women with a strong family history or a BRCA mutation need more intensive counselling, since they worry about what they may have passed on to their children. Others asked for separate content for women under 30, and for material that follows the treatment a patient is receiving. Anticipate, then share the load Moderating the support segment, Dr Walia said the aim is “treating the woman in totality.” She argued that side effects should be anticipated and managed early, with the whole treating team, including nurses and paramedical staff, ready to answer simple questions on food and nausea. One oncologist said the antiemetic section of the toolkit should reflect that a 2.5 mg dose of olanzapine, tested in a Tata Memorial randomised trial, had led to a change in NCCN guidelines. Doctors also spoke of the burden on the treating oncologist. Patients in India often expect one doctor to explain the diagnosis, the treatment, the diet and the exercise, and some consultations run to an hour. Participants called for trained support staff and counsellors to share the work. Video, volunteers and time alone Doctors agreed that patients forget much of what they hear in the consulting room. Many now ask patients to record counselling sessions, and Dr Dayana said she wished for “a better and animated, a better edited video” to offer instead. Video was also seen as the way to reach women outside the metros, who may not see a specialist often. Dr Joshi described pre- and post-operative classes at her hospital, led by patient volunteers for almost a decade and now being converted into a QR code. Dr Baghmar urged oncologists to give each patient five to ten minutes alone, away from family members who often speak for her. Myths on the plate Diet drew the liveliest debate, with sugar, keto diets and boiled fruit coming up repeatedly. Dr Joshi’s advice was simple: “roti, sabzi, dal, rice is a kind of a square Indian meal that cannot go wrong.” Another oncologist said she sets no restrictions beyond avoiding food that is too spicy, too oily or cooked by someone whose hygiene is unknown. One doctor raised weight gain after treatment, noting that some patients on endocrine therapy ask about weight-loss injections. The advice was to check thyroid function and see an endocrinologist, not to give blanket advice. On exercise, doctors favoured mild activity such as walking and yoga during treatment and strength work afterwards, always cleared by the treating oncologist. The group agreed to build evidence-based consensus documents on diet and sexual well-being. Beyond the breast Participants asked for content on contraception, pregnancy after treatment, genetic testing, screening for other cancers, breast prostheses, health insurance and caregivers, described by one doctor as a neglected pillar of cancer care. Doctors also flagged two issues that are often missed. Young women need counselling on preserving their eggs before chemotherapy, and some patients develop shoulder and spine problems after mastectomy that are mistaken for other pain. Follow-up testing was another gap: doctors said some clinicians still order routine chest X-rays, and the group wants a consensus on which scans are needed. Novartis demonstrated two tools: an offline HTML tool for HR-positive, HER2-negative early breast cancer that walks patients through a treatment plan, and a patient microsite that adds follow-ups and medication reminders to a phone calendar. Feedback from She Takes Charge will feed into a white paper.

she takes charge: eminent women oncologists chart what breast cancer care needs beyond treatment

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She Takes Charge: Eminent Women Oncologists Chart What Breast Cancer Care Needs Beyond Treatment

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She Takes Charge: Eminent Women Oncologists Chart What Breast Cancer Care Needs Beyond Treatment

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