Guwahati, June 10: Brave stories of battle with cancer were told as survivors gathered at the D.S. Research Centre her today to celebrate Cancer Survivors' Day.

"I have been fighting cancer for 28 years and my strength of mind has helped me a lot. I was first detected with cancer in my right kidney. After it was removed, I did not have to take medication for 19 years. But I was again diagnosed with a tumour in my pancreas in 2007 and have been on treatment since," said Mamoni Borthakur, a cancer survivor and a teacher, who believes in living life to the hilt. "I take each day as it comes and feel good when I meet people. I have fought cancer once successfully and am confident that I will defeat it this time too. I am on chemotherapy and also take ayurvedic medicines to increase my immunity. But it is important for cancer patients to believe that they will be cured," she said.

Similar was the outlook of several other cancer patients who had gathered at the centre, which specialises in treating cancer through ayurveda.

Minoti Borthakur, a doctor and a cancer survivor, said: "I have fought cancer for more than 20 years and twice I was diagnosed with fourth stage cancer. Luckily, I have survived. I feel it is very important to take every kind of help in fighting the disease, right from doctor's treatment to ayurveda to meditation. But the most important thing is to have faith that one will overcome the disease." She also teaches yoga to cancer patients at the B. Borooah Cancer Institute (BBCI) here.

"Cancer is a very painful disease and it is not easy for the patient. But it is equally necessary not to give up. Research has shown that cancer can recur in a patient even after years of being cured, as the cancer cells can remain dormant even without oxygen in some parts of the human body. So it is essential that even after a patient is pronounced cured, he leads a healthy lifestyle and does all to prevent the disease from recurring," said Borthakur.

Mono Gonju, who is undergoing treatment at the BBCI, said, "I have been diagnosed with cancer of the mouth. Doctors have operated on the tumours. I am on chemotherapy. The disease is a painful one but I believe I will be cured."