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Australian woman's husband died of cancer because curative therapy is banned in the country. Now she's here to videotape success stories in India using similar treatment

When Shamadevi Vishwakarma (41), a housewife from Goregaon (E), first spotted a lump in her throat early this year, she dismissed it as a seasonal inflammation. Little did she know that the lump was actually a malignant tumour that was sapping the life out of her. In less than a month, the cancer spread through her body, and she could not even perform little household chores.



Success stories

What followed was a terrifying four-month chakkar around hospitals, and a fear that she may lose her voice. That was until she was given radiowave hyperthermia treatment at Nanavati Hospital in September.

Vishwakarma is now tumour free, and is left with only a niggling feeling at the base of her throat that doctors say, will gradually disappear.

It's success stories like these that Australian campaigner Jenny Barlow is hoping to capture to help persuade her government to sanction hyperthermia treatment as an alternative treatment for cancer in Australia. She is currently videotaping patients at Dr Nagraj Huilgol's department of radioactive oncology at Nanavati Hospital for her campaign.

"I've got the proof, all I need now are human stories to show our politicians how this therapy can save lives," said Barlow.

Radiowave hyperthermia has been used at the Nanavati centre to treat cancer patients for the last eight years. It still remains the only regulated centre in the country. "It's been working well for us, and I don't see why our success stories can't be replicated," says Huilgol, who's treated more than 500 patients successfully.

MiD DAY first brought you her story four months ago, when she shared how hyperthermia helped her husband Ross enjoy the last days of his life. Ross was suffering from Kahler's disease and passed away more than two years ago. He received radioactive hyperthermia treatment in Ireland, but the cancer had spread too far by then.

What is radiowave hyperthermia?
Radiowave hyperthermia is the use of microwaves or radio waves to destroy cancerous tumours. As it targets the source, it is believed that the therapy causes less toxicity, and hence reduces symptoms of chemotherapy like vomiting, bleeding and hair loss.


What is Kahler's disease?
A fatal condition with the occurrence of multiple malign tumours (multiple myeloma) in the bone marrow, causing disturbances of its function. Main characteristics are asthenia, anorexia, weight loss, weakness; bone pains, usually at the back, less frequently chest and extremities, then at site of bone tumefactions; and spontaneous fractures. Prevalent in males.