Sonia Gandhi reveals two cancer scares in memoir:Recalls 2010 breast surgery in Italy; pancreatic operation in Netherlands

Former Congress president Sonia Gandhi has opened up about two cancer scares and a series of personal health challenges during the second term of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government, revealing details she had never publicly discussed before. In her newly released memoir, Belonging: A Journey of Love, Gandhi recounts how she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2010 and underwent surgery in Italy. A year later, a follow-up examination detected another growth in her pancreas, prompting further medical consultations and an operation in the Netherlands. Gandhi, who turns 80 next month, writes that the successive diagnoses were deeply unsettling for her and her children. She also describes how concerns about media attention influenced her decision to seek treatment abroad rather than at a hospital in India. Breast cancer diagnosis led to surgery in Italy Gandhi says her health problems became more frequent during the second UPA term. Apart from occasional asthma and allergies, she had not experienced serious medical issues earlier. However, stomach disorders became increasingly common as she grew older and became more involved in politics. In her memoir, she links the worsening symptoms to stress, recalling that her doctors had identified it as one of the main causes of stomach problems. In 2010, doctors advised her to undergo surgery after suspecting breast cancer. She says she had complete faith in the medical team at Delhi’s Sir Ganga Ram Hospital but was nevertheless frightened by the diagnosis. “Still, I felt shaken and worried; there was no time to lose, my children and I were told, and my mind began to race to a possible scary outcome,” she writes. Gandhi considered treatment at Mumbai’s Tata Memorial Hospital but eventually decided against it, fearing that media attention would compromise her privacy. Instead, she chose the European Institute of Oncology outside Milan. Rahul and Priyanka accompanied her during surgery Gandhi travelled for the operation accompanied by a senior officer, her children Rahul and Priyanka, her son-in-law Robert Vadra, and her sisters Nadia and Anouchka. The surgery was performed under the guidance of renowned surgeon Dr Umberto Veronesi. Recalling the moments before the operation, she writes: “On the day of the surgery, as I was wheeled into the operation theatre, Rahul and Priyanka held my hand and kissed me on the forehead, assuring me that all would be well.” Doctors removed two tumours, including one that was not considered suspicious but was taken out as a precaution. They also performed intra-operative radiation, sparing her five weeks of subsequent radiotherapy. Pancreatic growth detected during follow-up The relief was short-lived. A year after the breast cancer operation, a follow-up examination revealed a growth in Gandhi’s pancreas. The discovery came as a shock to her and her children, who initially feared that the earlier cancer had returned. After several consultations, doctors recommended immediate surgery. The tumour was initially suspected to be neuroendocrine in nature, a possibility that could have meant a lengthy operation and an extended hospital stay. Gandhi was referred to Erasmus University Medical Centre in Rotterdam, where she was treated by prominent pancreatic surgeon Dr Casper van Eijck. Despite reassurances from her family and doctors, she remained anxious about the procedure, as the full extent of the disease would only become clear after surgery. This time, Gandhi kept the trip largely private, informing only then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and a few senior colleagues before leaving for the operation. Following the surgery, Dr van Eijck told her that she had been fortunate. The tumour, he explained, had been detected early and was at a preliminary precancerous stage. Gandhi recalls collapse during Varanasi rally in 2016 The memoir also recounts another major health scare in August 2016, when Gandhi collapsed during an Assembly election campaign in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. She describes how the roads were packed with crowds cheering for the Congress as her convoy travelled for nearly five hours. Exhaustion eventually took its toll, and she lost consciousness. She was subsequently flown to Delhi for treatment. During the flight, as she drifted in and out of consciousness, Gandhi says she had a vision of her late husband, Rajiv Gandhi, who appeared to reach out to her with a reassuring smile. Sheila Dikshit, who remained by her side throughout the journey, later told her that she had suddenly smiled amid the tense situation inside the aircraft. Gandhi writes that the moment was probably connected to what she had seen. However, the fall had left her with a badly fractured shoulder, requiring another operation. Memoir traces her journey from Italy to Indian politics The 526-page memoir, Belonging: A Journey of Love, published by HarperCollins India, covers the major chapters of Gandhi’s life. It traces her childhood in post-war Italy, her marriage into the Nehru-Gandhi family, the assassination of her husband Rajiv Gandhi and her eventual entry into politics. The book also offers a personal account of the health battles she faced while navigating public life, providing an insight into experiences she had kept private for years.