16 May 2016: Adrija Gan’s 10th position in this year’s West Bengal Higher Secondary examination is more than a personal triumph over T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma. It is a reminder that children who survive cancer can return to school, ambition and a normal life — provided medicine is matched by family strength, institutional support and a society willing to replace stigma with acceptance.
At 12, Adrija’s world of school, friends and books changed without warning. Towards the end of Class VI, she developed a dry cough, followed by bouts of dizziness. “Tests were done and I was detected with T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma,” she says, matter-of-factly.
The girl from Nimta, North 24 Parganas, had a rare and aggressive form of blood cancer. T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia and T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma together report only about 5–6 new cases per million people under 20 annually in the US, according to Haematologica. Eight months of chemotherapy followed away from home — and childhood was abruptly interrupted.
The long road back
Studies had to be suspended. The treatment was punishing, but Adrija remembers the emotional turbulence just as sharply. “I used to feel frustrated. At times, I could not suppress my anger, which was not at all me,” she recalls.
After returning to Kolkata, treatment continued for another two years, largely through spinal and oral chemotherapy. She had to repeat Class VII. Rejoining school, in a class where she knew no one, made her anxious. But Ramakrishna Sarada Mission Sister Nivedita Girls’ School became her bridge back. “My new classmates went out of their way to warm up to me. I had new friends within days, and everything became normal,” smiled Adrija.
Dr Arijit Bishnu, Consultant, Haematology & BMT, HCG Cancer Hospital, Kolkata, said emotional rehabilitation must be part of cancer care, as children can experience frustration, low mood and social withdrawal during treatment.
Adrija did not require a bone marrow transplant and has been off medicines since 2021. This year, she secured 10th position in the West Bengal Higher Secondary examination — a triumph not only of marks, but of return. She now wants to study psychology. “My own mental struggles during those days have something to do with this decision,” she says.
Survival, school and society
For doctors, her story reinforces a vital message: childhood cancers are not the end of possibility. Dr Debanti Banerjee, Consultant Medical Oncologist, HCG Cancer Hospital, Kolkata, said: “With timely diagnosis, protocol-based chemotherapy, supportive care and regular follow-up, many children recover fully and lead meaningful lives.”
Dr Sanchayan Mandal, Consultant Medical Oncologist, HCG Cancer Hospital, Kolkata, said cancer education in schools should teach children not to ignore warning signs such as unexplained weight loss, unusual bleeding, non-healing ulcers or changing moles.
Dr Rupali Basu, Regional Business Head – East & AP, HCG Cancer Hospitals, added: “A child with cancer needs medicine, but also acceptance, patience and dignity. Families, schools and communities must help children return to ordinary life — because ordinary life is often the greatest milestone after extraordinary treatment.”
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