On World Cancer Day (February 4), the spotlight is on awareness, prevention, and early detection. While public campaigns stress lifestyle changes and regular screenings, it’s also worth asking: how do the doctors who fight cancer every day protect themselves?
Doctors who work closely with cancer patients carry an unspoken awareness into their everyday lives. Years of seeing how quietly cancer develops shapes the way choices are made at home, at work, and during moments of rest. These habits are not about fear or perfection, but about reducing avoidable risks, wherever possible.
Let’s hear it from the saviors – Dr. Abha Dubey, Consultant Haematologist at Narayana Hospital, Ahmedabad, and Dr. Kriti Hegde, Consultant–Paediatric Oncology, Haemato-Oncology & BMT at Narayana Health SRCC Children’s Hospital, Mumbai – on the habits and precautions they follow to reduce their own cancer risk.
1. Good sleep is non-negotiable
Speaking to Firstpost, Dr. Dubey stresses on good sleep. She says “prevention is treated as a daily practice rather than an occasional effort. Movement is built into routine life, even on demanding workdays. Long hours do not cancel the need for rest.”
On the other hand, Dr. Hegde says “Doctors tend to value everyday habits more than dramatic lifestyle overhauls. Long hospital shifts make this challenging, but not impossible.”
2. Small choices matter so much
Dr. Hegde reveals that small choices matter.
“Standing instead of sitting when possible, walking short distances rather than driving, and resisting the urge to sacrifice sleep repeatedly. Sleep deprivation is not worn as a badge of honour. It is recognised as something that weakens the body’s ability to repair itself over time,” she says.
3. Treat food with respect: Doctors are not immune to cravings but…
Dr. Hegde states that doctors are not immune to cravings or comfort food. But years of seeing diet-related cancers shape a more mindful relationship with food. Meals are rarely about extremes. Instead, they reflect balance and repetition.
“There is a quiet awareness that what is eaten most days matters far more than what is eaten occasionally. Food is not moralised. It is contextualised to make informed choices such as packaged and ultra-processed foods are kept to a minimum, meals are eaten slowly when possible and not rushed mindlessly, fruits, vegetables, and home-cooked food form the backbone of diets, alcohol is approached with caution, not celebration,” she shares further.,” says the oncologist.
4. Regular screening is an act of self-respect
Preventive screening is deeply ingrained in medical thinking. According to Dr. Hegde “doctors understand that many cancers grow quietly, without pain or warning. Waiting for discomfort is not considered bravery – it is considered risk.”
“Mammograms, cervical screening, colonoscopies, skin checks, and oral examinations are scheduled deliberately. These appointments often get postponed but rarely ignored forever. The same insistence is extended to family members, sometimes gently, sometimes persistently,” she adds.
5. Symptoms are heard, not explained away
Dr. Hegde candidly shares with us that doctors see firsthand how often patients say, “I thought it would go away”. That sentence lingers. As a result, persistent symptoms are rarely ignored by them. A lingering cough, unusual fatigue, unexplained bleeding, or a lump that does not disappear is taken seriously.
“Symptoms rarely translate into panic. They translate into attentiveness. The body is treated as something worth listening to, even when life is busy and responsibilities feel overwhelming,” she concludes.
6. Stress is not dismissed
Doctors know how easily stress is normalised. They also know what it does to the body when it becomes chronic.
“Over time, stress is linked to inflammation, hormonal imbalance, poor sleep, and weakened immunity. Because of this, mental and physical health is not treated as an afterthought,” cautions the expert.
According to her, finding moments of quiet, setting boundaries, daily light exercises or weekend hobby sports and occasionally stepping back are not seen as indulgent. They are recognised as protective.
7. Acceptance without illusion
Perhaps the most difficult lesson medicine teaches is that not all cancer is preventable. Genetics, environment, and chance play powerful roles. Dr. Hegde shares “doctors live with this reality daily. But acceptance does not lead to passivity. Instead, it leads to intention.”
Choices are made not to guarantee outcomes, but to reduce regret. The aim is not control, but care. In the end, what doctors do differently is not dramatic. It is the quiet act of paying attention – to the body, to time, and to the small decisions that slowly shape a healthier life.
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