Principal Director and Chief - Breast Surgical Oncology and Oncoplastic Surgery,
Ex Fellow, Breast Unit, Royal Marsden Hospital, London, Max Healthcare,
Patparganj &
Vaishali, New Delhi NCR.
Oncology, in India, has matured and all the ingredients that go into making an exceptional service exists. We are well poised to amalgamate these ingredients to create that potion that is available to everyone who needs it. The winds of change are blowing and the opportunities that existed only for Tier 1 cities have swept through Tier 2 cities and the Tier 3 cities and towns are also feeling the impact.
From the practice of general surgical, medical and radiation oncology, we have surely moved definitively in the direction of subspecialisation. Subspecialisation has only driven excellence and we see breast surgeons, breast medical oncologists, breast radiation oncologists choosing to focus on their respective branch but at the same time reaching out to each other to close the loop. It does not end here….we have breast pathologists, radiologists, breast geneticists, molecular oncologists, breast rehab specialists, psychologists, breast specialist nurses, advocates and industry collaborators. At present, we are a disjointed group of powerful practitioners. The Comprehensive Breast Collaborative Society ( CBCS), the brain child of like-minded individuals, intends to change that by multiplying this power as manifold as each specialty. By harnessing the power that each one brings to the table, we wish to rewrite the Breast Cancer Story in our country and beyond.
The time to work in silos is over. To make real progress, we have no option but to collaborate, innovate, generate data, pool them together and seek questions of the data, to answer questions relevant to our people. You could be working anywhere but your contribution will matter. We have to turn the huge numbers that we cater to, to our advantage and propel this movement. If we don’t, who will?
Inclusivity and collaboration is in the DNA of CBCS. CBCS aims to harness the skills of the effervescent young generation of practitioners. Once, we have gained momentum, each one of us will hand over the reins into the capable hands of the next set of thought leaders and collaborators. We sincerely want to allow for fresh minds and legs to carry the job forward. We want to create that inclusive environment where each one of you gets the same opportunities and space, to voice your ideas and be valued for who you are.
And finally, let gender not be the yardstick by which one is measured. Confidence in one’s capabilities should transcend gender. The world claims to be flat and one must give credence to that claim. We are about what we are and what we do. By drawing lines, we limit our flight. We are an equal opportunities group, where talent, diligence, passion, persistence and consistency will be recognized and rewarded. With so many of you epitomizing these qualities, we look set to become that group, which will come up with credible data, innovations and comprehensive answers to the Breast Cancer problem in our country.
The way forward is Collaboration and we are truly up for it. Let us collectively pen that story that we all so wanted to.