Manisha Koirala is a renowned actor who has made her mark in the Indian film industry with her impressive performances over the years. Not only in Bollywood, she has also given remarkable performances in the South and International Film Industries. Her performances in the films like “Dil Se”, and “Bombay”, earned her numerous awards and nominations, including several Filmfare Awards.
Apart from her successful film career, Manisha has fought a major battle in her life. In 2012, Manisha was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Initially, she suffered from abdominal bloating and Manisha thought that it was most likely a liver condition. But soon she was found in a hospital bed, in Kathmandu, when the family doctor told her that she has been diagnosed with cancer. Manisha was in utter disbelief and a state of shock when she got that a deadly disease has now captured her life.
But Manisha and her family did not give up they took a second opinion in Jaslok Hospital and met Dr Suresh Advani, a top oncologist in Mumbai, India. He was the one who finally broke and confirmed the news to Manisha that ovarian cancer has reached the last IV stage and it has been spread to multiple organs. Manisha broke down after hearing this and she was just numb.
Dr Suresh advised Manisha to first go through chemotherapy to shrink the tumour and then go for surgery. But Manisha was sceptical about it. She took the opinion of her uncles and aunts about cancer treatments in the USA. She assumed why not take cancer treatment from the best hospital in the world. After many discussions and conversations with her family members, she got to know about a renowned doctor and a top oncologist surgeon named Dr Dennis Chi at Memorial Sloan Kettering in New York.
Dr Chi has been treating patients with gynecologic cancers for more than 20 years. He leads the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) New York, Section of Ovarian Cancer Surgery. The doctors have expertise in removing advanced cancer that has spread beyond the ovaries. Manisha met Dr Chi, in early December 2012 and after knowing his expertise and advanced treatment she finally breathed a sigh of relief. Dr Chi decided to complete surgery before chemotherapy for Manisha’s treatment.
Dr Chi and his team removed all but the tiniest tumours that are invisible to the naked eye, known as optimal debulking surgery. In the 11-hour procedure on Manisha, all visible tumours, even those as little as a grain of sand, were eliminated. This was just the first phase of the treatment. Manisha had to undergo another dreadful part of the treatment and that was chemotherapy.
Paclitaxel (Taxol®) and cisplatin were administered in six cycles throughout Manisha’s chemotherapy over the first four months of 2013. Manisha was accompanied by Dr Vicky Makker through the intense chemotherapy treatment. Chemotherapy is extremely tiresome. It takes a physical and emotional toll on your body. Manisha was shedding her hair during the treatment, and she was responding well to the doctors but Manisha was breaking down after each cycle of treatment. But Dr Makker held her hand gave her strong support and advised her not to give up.
Manisha’s family, friends and Doctors in MKSCC were giving her strong support and helping her to be in good and positive spirits. Finally after four months of rigorous cancer treatment, and during her last day of chemotherapy, Manisha was declared cancer free on April 30th, 2013. That was a momentous and victorious day for her. She finally fought a hard battle and survived graciously.
Manisha returned to acting in 2017. Her journey as an actor, and her personal journey of overcoming cancer and sharing her story with the world, has been an inspiration to many. She continues to be an influential figure in the entertainment industry. We should draw inspiration about how she survived and thrived throughout her life path.
