Mickky could be hiding in Taleigaon - Whistle Blower................Pg 18

Secular India and Women - Sajla Chawla....................................Pg 19

Net of Fish, Faith and Celebrations - Conchita Goes Proenca......Pg 20

Conflict Resolutions - Juliet D’Souza...........................................Pg 20

My name is Swagatam - Bevinda Collaco......................................Pg 21

Messenger of God - Bharati Pawaskar........................................Pg 22

SUNDAY, 27th JUNE 2010

As humans we all like to read orhear inspiring stories. This is thestory of Dr Jayant Vaidya.

It demonstrates that reaching yourtarget and achieving your goals needshard work and perseverance to accom-pany new ideas and scientific rigor.

Trained as a surgical oncologist, DrJayant Vaidya is a breast cancer expertwho specialises in the diagnosis andtreatment of diseases of the breast. Heis a Consultant Surgeon at the Whit-tington Royal Free and University Col-lege London Hospitals. His privatebreast practice is at the London BreastInstitute at the Princess Grace Hospital,where he runs a One-Stop Breast Clinicand sees emergency cases.

Dr Vaidya is among three experts inthe UK who have achieved a break-through in the treatment of breast can-cer after a 10-year trial involving 2,000women patients that demonstratesthat a single dose of targeted radiationgiven during surgery for breast canceris just as effective as the standard six-week course of radiotherapy givenafter surgery. His team involved doc-tors and experts from 28 centres in 9countries.

The trial, called targeted interopera-tive radiotherapy (TARGIT –A Trial),was led by Dr Vaidya along with oncol-ogists Jeffrey Tobias and Michael Baum.The new approach means selected pa-tients receive just one dose of radia-tion during surgery to remove breastcancer. A probe is inserted into thebreast, so that it can target the exactsite of the cancer.

In his PhD thesis at University Col-lege, London (UCL) Dr Vaidya pio-

neered the concept of targetedintraoperative radiotherapy (TARGIT orIORT) to deliver radiotherapy towomen at the time of surgery. He wasfeatured on BBC’s ‘Tomorrow’s World’

for this.The new treatment would mean that

many more women who contractbreast cancer could conserve theirbreasts. TARGIT saves time, money andbreasts. It will change the way of think-ing about breast cancer and its treat-ment. The study suggests that inselected patients, the whole breastdoes not need to be treated, and thatthe radiation dose can be much lower.Besides, TARGIT eradicates the veryhighest risk area – around the part ofthe breast from which the tumour wasremoved.

TARGIT is given in a single dose viaan intra-operative probe. The conven-tional surgery is extended by just 30 to40 minutes while the patient is asleepunder anaesthetic. The cancer is takenout and the radiation goes in as soonas the surgery is complete, rather thanweeks after.

The interesting thing is, this interna-

tionally renowned doctor is one of ourvery own. Dr Vaidya hails from a promi-nent family of doctors from Goa. Sonof the late Dr Sharad Vaidya, who pio-neered the Goa Cancer Hospital at

Dona Paula (now run by the ManipalFoundation) and later went on to be-come one of India’s most prominentanti-tobacco activists, he studied atPeople’s High School and Dhempe Col-lege in Panjim, and did his MBBS fromGoa Medical College (GMC). He quali-fied in surgical oncology from BombayUniversity and the National Board. His

PhD is from UCL in London, and he is aFellow of the Royal College of Sur-geons (FRCS). At the age of 17, Vaidyaqualified to be a National Scholar, andreceived a scholarship throughout hismedical education.

He has worked at the Tata MemorialHospital, Mumbai, the Royal MarsdenHospital, UCL, and the University ofDundee in Scotland. He is currently aSenior Lecturer and Consultant Sur-geon at UCL. His clinical practice isbusy. He has extensive experience in allaspects of breast surgery, includinglumpectomy, wide local excision andquadrantectomy for breast cancer, sen-tinel node biopsy / axillary sampling,axillary clearance, and targeted intra-operative radiotherapy. Dr Vaidya alsoworks with plastic surgeons for breastreconstructive surgery. He is wellversed with multidisciplinary ap-proaches to breast cancer treatmentand works very closely with a team oftop medical oncologists, radiothera-pists, radiologists and pathologists, aswell as specialists in psychosocial care.

Mr Vaidya is considered a worldopinion leader in breast cancer. He hasover 180 original publications on var-ied subjects, and has given over 80 in-vited talks, including at the European

Breast Cancer Conference (EBCC), theEuropean Cancer Conference (ECCO),the Milan Breast Cancer Conferenceand the San Antonio Breast CancerConference. He has been invited tocontribute to several books on breastcancer. His book ‘Fast Facts – BreastCancer’ has just been published. Hehas also featured in ‘Time’ magazineand ‘Reader’s Digest’.

His main research interest is under-standing the natural history of breastcancer and how to treat it with maxi-mum effectiveness and minimal harm.His work on intraoperative radiother-apy was inspired by his original labora-tory work in 1994-5 that led him to theidea that breast cancer treatment withsurgery and radiotherapy needs to befocussed and targeted. Working withProf Michael Baum, he developed theconcept, tools and the surgical opera-tive procedure to give targeted intra-operative radiotherapy to the tissuesimmediately around a breast cancer,after it is surgically removed. He calledit TARGIT- for TARGeted Intraoperative

radioTherapy.The TARGIT procedure has been now

been used in over 2,000 women, aspart of the international TARGIT-A trial,conducted in 28 specialist cancer cen-tres worldwide. It achieved more than98 per cent durable local control, a re-markable result. The results were re-ported in ‘Lancet Online First’ on 5 June2010. His recent collaborative transla-tional research work suggests that TAR-GIT treatment may also change thetumour micro-environment, making itless conducive for tumour growth. Anew TARGIT-B trial, currently underway,will indicate whether the TARGIT boostis superior to the standard postopera-tive boost because it is accuratelytimed and targeted.

It will save women taking breast can-cer treatment a prolonged course of ra-diotherapy, which can mean 20 or 30visits to the hospital over five to sixweeks, with unfortunate side effectsincluding pain, burns and loss of hair.Dr Vaidya and his colleagues believethat for Britain’s beleaguered NationalHealth Service (NHS), it could signifi-cantly reduce waiting lists for breastcancer treatment and save as much as£15 million a year, after costing in theinitial outlay for new equipment.

Dr Jayant Sharad Vaidya recently made international

headlines when he pioneered a new technique of

administering radiation during breast cancer surgery

that can save women six weeks of post-operative

radiotherapy treatment. Breast Surgeon, Oncologist

and Breast Cancer Specialist in London, Dr Vaidya is

one of our very own, born and brought up in Panjim.

REMEDIANA DIAS spoke to him about the secret of

his success

(Contact Dr Jayant Vaidya at: jayantvaidya@gmail.com)

Right on TARGITA Goan doctor pioneers a revolutionary new cancer treatment

Dr Jayant Vaidya along with Jeffrey Tobias dicussing the TARGIT concept.

The international steering committee and the Data Monitoring committee of the TARGIT –A Trial.

Dr Sharad Vaidya and Dr Nirmala Vaidya

Dr Jayant Vaidya with his family

Dr Jayant Vaidya and Michael Baum doing one of the first TARGeted IntraoperativeradioTherapy operations in 1998

Dr Jayant Vaidya during a lecture tour in India – aiming tobring it back to the Tata Hospital.

REMEDIANA DIAS spoke to Dr Jayant Vaidya over the tele-phone; not so much about his achievements, which are nowin the public domain, but about himself, what inspires him andmuch, much more. Excerpts from an exclusive interview:

What is the secret of your success?I keep my mind fresh with new ideas and have the ability to see the glass three quartersfull.

I think it is always important to think big and to try to for it with a positive attitude.I believe if you reach for the stars you will emerge at least on the moon.

The catch phrase, ‘how and why?’ and ‘lets do it’ sums up my attitude to life. Ibelieve life is about the dreams you live, and the plans you make happen. I have learntthat for making something happen, one needs to believe in it strongly and persist, per-sist, persist. My father made it happen; he made Goa India’s first tobacco-free state13 years ago.

I think challenges are the best times of your life. To make things happen, a leaderneeds to instil the excitement of the challenge in those around them. I have alwayshad support from my family, friends and colleagues. Without that, I could not havedone anything.

What makes you happy?I derive happiness from the things in life that one cannot attach a price tag to, like myfamily and friends and the smiles of my patients.

I am in high spirits when I find a new question to solve or a new idea that canchange the world. I love living every minute of my life. When I wake up every morning,I look forward to the mysteries and surprises each day will unravel, and I love to liveeach moment to the fullest. We are not here for a long time, and must create the mostcheerful times for our near and dear ones.

I believe destiny helps those who are inspired and truly committed. Choose whatyou enjoy and enjoy whatever you have chosen wholeheartedly, couple it with genuinehard work, and you are likely to be successful. If you are passionate about what youdo, you may falter but you will never fail.

Describe yourself as a person…I am very curious about the world and my thirst for knowledge does not get quenchedeasily. I am a perfectionist, simply because it comes instinctively. I believe in excelling,because all of us must aspire to be the best we can. The two together add up to whatI believe is a formula to achieve a goal – inspiration and persistence in hard work.

I strive to get the most value from my time. I cannot easily differentiate work fromplay, because I enjoy both. I can go on doing it uninterrupted for many hours, some-times to the annoyance of those around me. One of my strengths is the way I workwith people of different backgrounds and of different capabilities. I believe that everyone of us has some great qualities. I find that time is something I am always hopingto have more of. I always try to keep an ear tuned to the stories behind my patients’medical complaints. I try to spend as much time listening as I can, without getting be-hind schedule.

One’s actions are a means of self expression. I am a diligent and meticulous person,and I don’t believe there can be any substitute for hard work. I love the exactness ofscience – even when there is uncertainty.

Tell us something about your life in Goa.I have the best family in the world. Both parents were my role models. My father, be-sides being an excellent surgeon, pioneered and successfully led the anti-tobacco move-ment in India, helped by my mother. My extended family was always inspiring andencouraging me. I had great fun during school (at the old Mushtifund and People’s)and college (Dhempe, Goa Medical, Tata Memorial) days. My wife and children con-tribute in a major way to my scientific endeavours, not just in making a fantastic homebut with a huge intellectual input as well. They are all great on their own.

My teachers, whether at school, college or home, have been the major influences inmy life. The first and foremost of these were my parents and my siblings. I have aloving and supporting family that influenced me in many positive ways. During school,I had some dynamic teachers who opened my mind to myriad possibilities. My aunts,uncles, cousins and grandparents and many close friends stimulated and inspired me.

Even as a child, I wanted to be a scientist, to find new things, to do research and tochange the world for the better.

What do you enjoy doing when you are not working?I enjoy reading books – both fiction and non-fiction – science and philosophy. And Ilove photography. I love how technology can enhance our lives. My perspective of lifeincludes the full realisation of how small we are both in terms of time and space, com-pared to the universe.

When you look back, what gives you the greatest sense of fulfilment?That is an interesting question. Completion of a task gives fulfilment. That way, per-forming a surgical operation is very fulfilling, because one begins and ends within ashort span of time and one has already done something good. Research takes longer,but has bursts of ideas coming on a regular basis and has the potential to make amuch larger impact. A satisfied smile from a patient can make the longest day themost fulfilling. I like my late evening postoperative ward round – it keeps my patientssafe and gives me a good night’s sleep. The little things should mean as much to youin life as the big things.

In the future, I would like to see a peaceful world filled with happy people.

As an internationally known doctor, what lessons have you learnt that havestayed with you till this day?Keep an open mind and let it fly freely – encourage wild ideas – but test them withthoroughness, and inspire others around you. Follow your dreams, persist in the faceof all calamities, and maintain strict integrity with science and truth. Always be kind.

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