Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (MS)

Bengaluru, Nov 11: According to the information given by Dr B S Srinath, close friend and family doctor, the deceased Union minister Anant Kumar (59) succumbed to a type of cancer of the lung called Adenocarcinoma, within just six months of diagnosis of the same.

The doctor is also of the opinion that Anant Kumar did not take the symptoms of his repeated coughing during the campaigning of assembly elections this year seriously and thought that it must be due to the jam-packed schedule of his meetings.

Giving more details, Dr B S Srinath, surgical oncologist at Sri Shankara Cancer Foundation, said, "Apart from diabetes, Anant Kumar was relatively healthy with a good lifestyle as he had no vices like smoking. He must have developed cancer during the month of January or February of 2018. Cancer developed a stray mutation too fast leaving Anant Kumar with very less time for treatment and recovery. The Adenocarcinoma was in its advanced stage when he was diagnosed with the same in the month of June."

With regards to the mystery that surrounded the illness of Anant Kumar, Dr Srinath gave clarification and said, "The minister was in utter dismay when he was diagnosed with cancer and wished to keep it for himself and his family. He and his family visited the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York. However, the treatment that was given to him in that hospital backfired. This made the family of Anant Kumar to bring him back to Bengaluru."

"Anant Kumar had spoken to me about the developmental plans he had in his vision for the capital city of Karnataka as well as our country during his hospitalization of last few months at Sri Shankara Cancer Foundation," said Dr Srinath, who is a very close family friend of Anant Kumar's family. According to Dr Srinath, Anant Kumar's death is not only a huge loss to his family and friends but for the entire country.