TRIED AND TESTED

On a crisp autumn day, just a few days before Diwali, a celebration of light triumphing over darkness, a human trial reached its conclusion. It was a day filled with both triumph and loss, where life emerged victorious despite the pain. Mrs. Chanchal Sachdeva, a former beauty queen and a brave soul, bid farewell to her beloved family and the extended family at RGCIRC, a renowned cancer center.

With unwavering determination, Mrs. Sachdeva expressed her final wish to her daughter, Dr. Charu Sachdeva, who now serves as Deputy Manager Operations and Co-Convenor at the institute. “If I am to depart this world,” she whispered, “let it be in this hospital. I no longer wish to return home. Please let me speak to Dr. Doval.” And so, their poignant conversation unfolded, etching itself in Dr. Charu’s memory.
The journey began seven years earlier when a mammogram revealed the presence of cancer in Mrs. Sachdeva’s left breast. The disease had localized in her breast and lymph nodes, posing a formidable challenge. Dr. DC Doval, a trusted figure and Chair of Medical Oncology at the institute, narrates the story of this trial that tested notonly medical expertise but also resilience.

Dr. Charu reminisces about encountering Dr. Doval as a young medical student. She recalls his kindness and expertise, how he knew just how to treat his patients. Yet, he understood that clinical skill alone was insufficient. Effective communication and fostering faith in his patients were equally vital.

As Mrs. Sachdeva grappled with her fears, Dr. Doval initiated a therapy combining two chemotherapy drugs, Taxotere and Carboplatin, with the targeted monoclonal antibody Herceptin. This treatment, known as TCH, aimed to combat the aggressive Triple Positive (ER + PR + and HER2Neu 3+) breast cancer. It was the recommended course of action according to the National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines.
Mrs. Sachdeva emerged victorious in the first round, but a year later, in October 2015, the disease reappeared with greater intensity. Driven by her indomitable spirit, she became part of a clinical trial led by Dr. Doval, exploring the effects of Pertuzumab (Perjeta), another HER2 targeted antibody. This trial aimed to combine Pertuzumab with Herceptin and chemotherapy for Indian patients with HER2 positive advanced metastatic or recurrent breast cancer.
Dr. Charu and her family faced a difficult decision whether to join the trial. Guided by Dr. Doval’s expertise and confidence in the potent drug Perjeta, they embraced the trial’s risk-benefit analysis. Mrs. Sachdeva embarked on the trial, receiving a combination of chemotherapy and two targeted therapies. For a year and a half, the disease receded, and her scans bore witness to her resilience.

Although the trial concluded, the battle against cancer never truly ends. In 2017, when the disease returned, Mrs. Sachdeva’s options became limited. She had to revert to standard chemotherapy drugs, enduring a relentless treatment regime. The disease progressed, challenging her ability to breathe and eat. Yet, within the walls of RGCIRC, the staff, led by Dr. Nitin Garg, ensured she could walk out gracefully, providing unparalleled care and going above and beyond for their patients.

When the inevitable end approached, Mrs. Sachdeva’s family let her go with dignity, liberated from the clutches of cancer. She peacefully passed away in the ICU, surrounded by the excellence of the medical staff who had become her second family. Dr. Charu expresses her admiration for the exceptional dedication and compassion exhibited