PRASHANTI CANCER CARE MISSION
PCCM is a public, charitable trust established in 1996, in Pune, Maharashtra, India under the leadership of Dr. Chaitanyanand B. Koppikar, M.D., an internationally renowned Breast-Onco surgeon. The main objective of the organization is to provide accessible, affordable, and compassionate medical care using a holistic and integrated approach to every individual in need and also to undertake medical education, training and research in the field of cancer science. Their motto is "Losing is not an option" and they take all the actions possible to work towards this motto.
THEIR WORK
AWARENESS CAMPS
In India, women are not aware about breast cancer and breast conditions. Also, there is a lot of stigma surrounding the topic of Breast Cancer. Thus, Prashanti Cancer Care Centre has taken the responsibility of going to various schools, offices, villages and even prisons to educate women about Breast Cancer and teach them the importance of monthly Self Breast Examination.
SCREENING CAMPS
Many women are not aware about the various methods of diagnosis and many women cannot afford a mammography. Thus, along with Awareness Camps, Prashanti Cancer Care Centre carry out screening camps wherein they carry out a clinical breast examination, mammography and a colposcopy. They even have a fully equipped bus which allows them to carry out screening camps in distant villages. Also, the women who are diagnosed with a suspect tumor are advised to come to Orchid Breast Health Clinic to have a free mammography just to determine whether the tumor or cyst is cancerous or benign.
FREE TREATMENT
Prashanti Cancer Care Centre along with Orchid Breast Health Clinic offer free or subsidised treatment for the underprivileged patients. They also have a food bank which provides nutritious food to these patients. Also, their day care offers free treatments like scalp cooling and muscle compression to all of their patients.
RESEARCH ACTIVITIES
Prashanti Cancer Care Centre carries out many research projects by using their patient data after getting due consent to do so. Currently they are focusing on Triple Negative Breast Cancer amongst Indian women. Also, the main focus area of their research projects is Indian Breast Cancer Patients, because there has not been a lot of research on Breast Cancer and its expression in the Indian women and previous research has shown that Indian women express Breast Cancer differently as compared to women of other races. I got a huge opportunity to participate in their research projects by helping them complete their gene bank for one of their ongoing research projects.
ACADEMIC PROGRAMMES
Prashanti Cancer Care Mission offers internships to students interested in the field of biology and research. Also, they conduct Breast Cancer Symposiums for oncologists and medicine students. These symposiums include live surgeries, lectures by world renowned oncologists and talks about new developments in the field of oncology. They also offer a degree in Breast Oncoplasty.