Given 100 days to live, how Arjun Sen fought cancer with science and self-care
At 32, Arjun Sen had never been inside a hospital. But this time, it wasn't for a routine check-up. It was cancer.One day, during a meeting, Sen began throwing up blood and was immediately rushed to the emergency room, where he found his world changed in a momen, diagnosed with laryngeal cancer, with early signs of colorectal cancer as well.advertisementLaryngeal cancer develops in the larynx, a person's voice box. When tumor develops, it changes the voice of a person, causes trouble in breathing and swallowing, among other symptoms. It is a type of head and neck cancer, a highly prevalent cancer diagnosed mostly in Indian men.
"The moment the wristband was put on me and I sat in a wheelchair, I lost all control in my life," Arjun Sen, author and mind architect, founder & CEO of ZenMango, told IndiaToday.in.In those early days, the prognosis was dire.'When my doctors first told me about the seriousness of my diagnosis, they used the 100 days reference to simply create an urgency that I must start my treatment as soon as possible, I did not know how to act and went into a denial and shut-down mode. I literally locked myself in my house and hid from the world," Sen said.advertisementIt wasn't until his young daughter asked him three simple but piercing questions that Sen began to see things differently.'The reframing began when my three-year-old daughter asked me, 'What is dying? Are you dying? And will you dance at my wedding?' The three questions broke through my mental block. I realised that I have a purpose, a cute purpose, in life. I wanted to live, I wanted to put my best effort to live," he said.He also began to challenge the way he interpreted medical predictions, realising that medicine are a treatment profession and not a predictive profession.
It wasn't until his young daughter asked him three simple but piercing questions that Sen began to see things differently.
While he appreciated the care and the urgency created by the doctors, he knew there was a chance that they were wrong."I understood the odds they 'gave' were not in my favour but also, they were not zero. So my unquit journey to healing began when I was able to successfully whoosh the 100 days prediction 'given' to me," he said.advertisementHEALING FROM CANCERAs the treatments began, which included surgeries, radiation, and chemotherapy, Sen realised that his own actions would be just as crucial as medical intervention."I couldn't simply sit back and let my doctors do everything. I felt they ran the first leg of the relay by treating me and then it was up to me to take care of myself," he said.He began with one of the most overlooked aspects of life: how time is spent. Instead of stealing time from his family and work, he reprioritised sleep and rest.His approach to food also transformed during recovery."Food is the fuel for my body. Just like I am extra cautious about the kind of gas (petrol) I put in my car, the same way I will use the same diligence in food selection. I put all my food into three groups, group 1: Eat a lot, group 2: Never eat, and group 3: eat just a little to taste. Setting rules and boundaries helped me," Sen added.Moderate physical activity and self-awareness became part of his daily routine. 'I realized my body had taken a beating and was weaker than before. As I took that body through a tougher unquit journey, I wanted to take the best care of myself," he said.advertisementMENTAL STRENGTHAs he navigated the side effects of cancer treatment, Sen leaned on his mental strength and self-compassion, not letting acknowledgement turn into self-pity or sympathy.He found joy and empowerment in even the most vulnerable moments.'For example, when I started losing hair, I got a hair buzzer. I invited some of my best friends over for a pizza party. At the end of the party, I put some music on and we all took turns to buzz my hair off. It made me feel that even in the toughest of days, we can still control our journey in life," Sen added.So of course, recovery had its ups and downs. 'At the end of the first set of surgeries, chemotherapy and radiation, I slowly started to get back into healing. But there was no respite. There were setbacks, some as a side effect of the surgeries. Keeping my mind calm and strong through it all was key," he said.He compares it to a math puzzle he loved as a child.advertisement'Growing up, this was my favorite math problem. A monkey is trying to climb a 50 feet slippery pole. It rises 1 metre in every one minute and slips 1/2 meters in every next minute. What time will he reach the top? My life soon became the same problem. The only difference was at times I would slip more than I would rise," he said.BUILDING IMMUNITYAfter the treatment, Sen remained disciplined in protecting his health by taking shorter meals more frequently.'At home there would be no plants or flowers. When I returned from therapy or treatment, for days my family would limit the number of guests in the house. I even got masks for them. I truly made my healing a priority, he said.Sen believes two things mattered most: his people and his mindset.Today, more than two decades later, his body is cancer-free, and his outlook remains grounded in readiness, not denial.'My prognosis is simple; today my body is cancer free, but my mind will be forever cancer free. I live in the truth. I never tell myself that tomorrow will be easier. It may not be, but I am ready to fight in the world of 'when cancer is back' and not hide myself in the world of 'if cancer is back.'' he said.advertisementSen's extraordinary story of resilience has inspired a feature film called I Want To Talk starring Abhishek Bachchan, directed by Shoojit Sircar, and released in 2024.But to him, the message is simple: 'If we can never lose our smile and stay positive in the journey, then unquit becomes our DNA and true self descriptor.'
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