Twice a cancer survivor, invites her doctor to her 50th wedding anniversary celebration

Surviving cancer is a battle. You fight, you heal, you rebuild your life around routines. That’s what a 70-year-old woman from Alwar, Rajasthan had done. Seven years ago, she faced breast cancer head-on, mastectomy, chemo, radiation.

She stayed on top of her appointments, followed every instruction, and gradually got back to a life that felt normal again. For seven years, she believed she was done with cancer. Then came the unexpected twist: a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. It was entirely new, entirely different, and entirely terrifying. And yet, when she walked into the clinic she was composed, steady, and quietly confident. She had fought once, and she believed she could fight again.“As a cancer surgeon, however, I knew that this battle would not resemble her first. Treating breast cancer and treating pancreatic cancer are two very different realities. Breast cancer has seen remarkable advancements in survival, screening, reconstruction, and adjuvant strategies. Pancreatic cancer, on the other hand, remains one of the most difficult cancers to treat globally, with silent progression, late detection, and limited surgical windows.

The difference between the two diseases is not just anatomical — it is existential,” Dr. Archit Pandit, Director of surgical Oncology at Fortis Escorts, Okhla Road, her doctor, told TOI Health.

“She was diabetic, hypertensive, had neuropathy from her previous chemotherapy, and had developed cardiac concerns linked to age. Her genetic analysis including BRCA and other relevant panels came back negative, ruling out a syndromic or hereditary pattern.

Before any decision could be made, extensive staging and metastatic evaluation was undertaken. Her PET-CT showed no distant spread, and that single piece of information changed the trajectory of her case.

It opened a door that pancreatic patients rarely get — a curative surgical option,” said the doctor and added that the woman underwent a robotic-assisted Whipple procedure, which is complex even for younger, healthier patients; with higher risks of postoperative complications such as delayed gastric emptying, pancreatic leaks, infections, and cardiac events in elderly individuals.

“She recovered remarkably well, was mobilized early, and was discharged home on the seventh postoperative day,” the doctor said.“If one had to identify the turning point in her journey, it was not merely the PET scan nor the robotic technology, but her ecosystem of support. Her son and daughter-in-law were unwavering, attending every consultation, absorbing every instruction, and ensuring she remained medically and emotionally anchored.

In oncology, family is often the unsung part of survival, and in her case it was as vital as any treatment delivered inside an operating theatre, “he said.

“Today, she is nearing eight decades of life with a dignity that defies disease. On 26th January, her family will celebrate her 50th wedding anniversary, and I have been invited as a guest for that evening. It is rare for a surgeon to see such moments — to witness a patient not only survive but reclaim milestones that illness threatens to erase.

That invitation overwhelmed me in a way outcomes data never can. As clinicians, we are trained to measure survival in months, years, recurrence curves and overall survival statistics.

But sometimes survival is measured in the ability to sit next to one’s spouse, cut a cake, pose for photographs, and have grandchildren running around the house,” the doctor said reflecting on her journey of reclaimed life and love. “That is why this case remains so close to my heart, because it reminds me that oncology is not just about treating disease; it is about protecting life as it is meant to be lived,” he said.