ISRO chief Somanath: I was diagnosed with cancer, cured now
"It was a shock for the family. However, now I see cancer and its treatment as a solution. I was uncertain about a complete cure at the time, I was undergoing the process," he said.
ISRO chief S Somanath. File photo: PTI
The Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) chairman S Somanath has revealed that he was diagnosed with stomach cancer on the same day when India’s maiden solar mission Aditya-L1 was launched in September last year.
“There were some health issues during the Chandrayaan-3 mission launch. However, it was not clear to me at the time, I did not have a clear understanding about it,” Somanath told Tarak Media House’s YouTube channel.
He added, “I conducted a scan in the morning of the day (September 2, 2023) Aditya-L1 was launched. That was when I realised that I had a growth in my stomach. I gained a clue about it as soon as the launch occurred. After the launch, I went to Chennai and underwent a scan. I was able to confirm that there was a problem. Then I underwent the rest of the tests.”
Somanath said his family was shocked to hear the news, and disclosed that he has been completely cured now.
“It was a shock for the family. However, now I see cancer and its treatment as a solution. I was uncertain about a complete cure at the time, I was undergoing the process. I will be undergoing regular checkups and scans. But, now I am completely cured, and have resumed my duties,” he said.
Stomach cancer is also known as gastric cancer. According to the United States government's National Cancer Institute, stomach cancer is cancer that starts in the cells lining the stomach. There are various types of stomach cancer including Adenocarcinoma of the stomach, Gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma (GEJ), Gastrointestinal neuroendocrine tumours, Gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GIST) and Primary gastric lymphoma.
Somanath did not specify what type of stomach cancer he had.