Redefining cancer care beyond treatment

Metro India News | Hyderabad 

Stressing that cancer recovery extends beyond medical treatment, the founders of Anugnya Holistic Care on Wednesday shared details of their integrative support model for cancer patients, survivors and caregivers during a press conference held at FTCCI in Hyderabad.

Founded by cancer survivors and caregivers, Anugnya Holistic Care seeks to help patients manage the physical, emotional and psychological challenges that often accompany cancer treatment, including fatigue, pain, anxiety, neuropathy and emotional distress.

Sharing her personal experience, co-founder Sangeeta Bhalla recalled the difficult recovery she faced after undergoing three radical surgeries, including one that was life-threatening. “When I came home from the hospital, the weakness would not lift. Walking to the balcony felt like an achievement,” she said. Bhalla added that while cancer treatment saved her life, recovery support remained limited. “Recovery extends beyond the treatment itself,” she said.

Seeking better solutions, Bhalla explored integrative care practices adopted at institutions such as MD Anderson Cancer Center and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Along with co-founders Viiveck Verma and Rajiv Lal, she spent nearly a decade developing a structured remote support system. “None of us arrived at this through theory. We arrived here through our own treatment journeys and personal losses,” she said.

Verma, who supported his wife through an 11-year cancer journey, said, “Caregiver burnout is real and often invisible. We wanted to create an institution that supports not only patients, but also the people standing beside them.”

The support model includes trained healers, oncologist networks, patient tracking, online meditation, aromatherapy and peer-support groups. Bhalla also shared the case of Irfan, a 21-year-old Hodgkin’s Lymphoma patient whose nausea, neuropathy and pain reduced significantly during treatment.

The founders said the model complements medical treatment and highlighted the need for greater psychosocial support for cancer patients and caregivers in India.