sonali: is part time volunteering ok or does volunteering have to be full time?

LolitaSaletore:  no, volunteering can be based on your time and area in which you want to help out in; that is why it is called volunteering. At Indian Cancer Society we have many people who come in for a few hours in a week or some just once a day in the week, basically whenever they have the time.

ItsMEEEEE: Hi, I had a similar qts. Can one attend these workshops after joining as a volunteer or is it mandatory to take up a course before hand?

LolitaSaletore:  yes, you can attend these workshops after joining as a volunteer

sonali: what does non-counselling volutneering involve?

LolitaSaletore: Indian Cancer Society has a Rehabilitation Cantre at Parel, close to Tata Memorial Hospital where you can come and teach teach some skills like paper bag making, tailoring of some new products, some cancer patients also work in our Rexin section where eco friendly bags are made, the weaving section makes darries, floor dusters etc. Printing section...so you can come and help out in any one of tehse sections, or even in the fund raising activities

suman: i heard about a cancer counseling course online. I wanted to know what do these courses involve and how useful are they? Is there some kind of hands on training at the councelling center as well?

LolitaSaletore: i don't know about online counseling courses. But there are some excellent ones conducted by Reach to Recovery and Mastectomies Association. They basically teach you how to approach the topic, how to handle the patient, how to find answers to the patients questions, anxiety, emotions etc and what kind of a tone to use while talking, ones body launguage while handling patients... how involved to get with patients etc. While attending workshops, mock situations are handled. But at Indian Cancer Society we can only let you be with us while we are counseling our rehab workshop patients but that kind of hands on experience will not be enough

ItsMEEEEE: I wish to be a volunteer. But I have certain domestic constraints. Although i undstd that volunteering will be as per my convenience do u think it is advisable to take it up 'coz there might be situations where there could be a clash of situations?

LolitaSaletore: i always believe 'where there is a will there is a way"... if you feel volunteering will make you feel better in some way, you can always do it.

Jumbo: What are the toughest challenges you’ve had to face and how did you overcome them?

LolitaSaletore: by toughest challenges, if you mean cancer... well the decision to take the second session of medication ( chemo therapy) which was at the experimental stage at that time but was recommended by the oncologist since my cancer was at a fairly advance stage and i was just 36 years old and hence the cancer was aggressive since at that age the normal cells division takes place at a faster rate than compared to an older person. I just had faith in my doctor and went ahead with what he said my protocol would be. But i think on a daily basis i face the toughest challenges trying to bring up my two teenage daughters!

Jumbo: How aware are Indian women about the dangers of Breast Cancer?

LolitaSaletore: in India the attitude still is... "cancer is what happens to someone else and not me"! I think this is mainly because we do not have a system of doing an annual check up as required abroad since they have to renew their insurance policy every year. Even when an annual check up is recommended by Corporates, people always find an excuse and leave it for another day. But with the present lifestyles, stress, foods.. i think it will be better if we all become more aware of all types of fatal diseases

Jumbo: Do you think schools and colleges need to conduct camps to educate young girls of the danger?

LolitaSaletore: yes, very much so. I think it is the need of the hour. More awareness is definitely required.

Jumbo: How aware are the rural women about breast cancer? Do you think there is a need for a proactive drive to spread awareness?

LolitaSaletore: forget rural women, even women in the cities are not very aware of breast cancer, cancer of the cervix etc. Simple things like self examination can go a long way in detecting the cancer lump at an early stage. Some proactive drives have started. We at Indian cancer society have a mobile detection van that goes to schools, colleges, slums, factories and to other states such as Gujarat, Goa, Chhattisgarh and interiors of Maharashtra.

Pushpa: are there any helpline numbers

LolitaSaletore: I am not aware of any helpline nos for cancer. However i can find out and let you know later

Jumbo: Can cosmetic surgeries and procedures (implants) also cause breast cancer?

LolitaSaletore: i am not in a position to comment on that as i am not a doctor. Some of the common causes of breast cancer are said to be food habbits, stress, long term use of oral contraceptives, early menses, delayed child birth, non breast feeding etc

LolitaSaletore: all the best to all of you