In a piece of heartbreaking news, Bharatiya Janata Party confirmed that Chandigarh MP Kirron Kher is suffering from multiple myeloma, a type of blood cancer, and is undergoing treatment in Mumbai.
During the conference on Wednesday, Chandigarh BJP President Arun Sood shared that the 68-year-old Bollywood actor-turned-politician was on the recovery path after her treatment for the disease started last year. He said:
“She had suffered a broken left arm at her Chandigarh house on November 11 last year. After her medical tests at Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) in Chandigarh, she was diagnosed with multiple myeloma. The disease had spread to her left arm and right shoulder. For treatment she had to go to Mumbai on December 4,”
He also shared that in the latest tests, the disease has receded from her arm and shoulder. He said:
“Even though she is recovering after her four-month treatment and no longer admitted at Kokilaben Hospital, Mumbai, she has to visit the hospital regularly for treatment.”
Kirron Kher is not only a well-renowned actress but also an inspiring politician who took the political plunge in 2014.
She was first elected to the Lok Sabha in 2014 by defeating Congress stalwart Pawan Bansal and Aam Aadmi Party’s candidate and celebrity Gul Panag. Later in 2019, banking on the Modi wave, she again defeated Bansal in the 2019 parliamentary polls. In recent times, Congress has criticized Kirron Kher for her prolonged absence from Chandigarh during the Covid-19 outbreak. In the revert of this criticism, BJP had to make a revelation on the MP’s health.
While defending Kher’s absence from the city, Sood said:
“She was in the city till December last year. She is a senior citizen and diabetic. She was advised against venturing outside the house during the lockdown. Only to get treatment for the disease she had left the city. Despite her illness, Kher has been in regular touch with me discussing various city-related issues,”
Multiple Myeloma: The Cancer Of White Blood Cell & Plasma Cell
As per Mayoclinic, Multiple Myeloma is cancer that forms in a type of white blood cell called a plasma cell. Healthy plasma cells help you fight infections by making antibodies that recognize and attack germs.
In multiple myeloma, cancerous plasma cells accumulate in the bone marrow and crowd out healthy blood cells. Rather than produce helpful antibodies, the cancer cells produce abnormal proteins that can cause complications. Multiple myeloma may initially exhibit no symptoms. But, as it progresses, bone pain, anemia, kidney dysfunction, and infections may occur.
Though it is considered treatable, it is generally incurable. Remissions may be brought about with steroids, chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and stem cell transplant. Bisphosphonates and radiation therapy are also used to reduce pain from bone lesions.
As per Dr. Pankaj Malhotra, professor of clinical hematology at PGIMER,
“It is a type of blood cancer, but manageable. It usually affects the kidney and bones, causing fractures and renal failure. Treatment for this disease has advanced over the years, allowing survival beyond 10 years. Depending on the patient’s presentations, they can lead a reasonable life.”
Fighting cancer is never easy. It sucks a lot of energy and positivity from the patient and leaves them hopeless. At IFORHER, we wish Kirron Kher a speedy recovery and hope she would soon be back in action! Kirronji, get well soon!