Myths and Taboos: A Major Hindrance to Cancer Controls. “Inherited Knowledge” A Blessing or Curse. Surgery After 21 Cycles of Chemotherapy “A Surgeon’s Ordeal”

Myths, superstition, and taboos are prevalent in India and often guide the patient’s perceptions about the cause and treatment of diseases. The preformed firm notions make the patients unreceptive to counseling by doctors and often lead them to take wrong decisions from their end. We report a patient with cancer of the ovary who because of her misconception of cancer surgery chose to undergo 21 cycles of chemotherapy and eventually faced near fatal complication after surgery.