Sonia Gandhi Reveals Two Cancer Scares in New Memoir

Congress leader Sonia Gandhi has revealed details of two major cancer-related health scares and multiple surgeries that she kept largely private while serving at the centre of Indian Politics. In her newly released memoir, Belonging: A Journey of Love, Gandhi recalls how a breast cancer diagnosis in 2010 was followed by the discovery of a growth in her pancreas a year later, bringing fear, uncertainty and difficult medical decisions.

Gandhi, who has rarely spoken publicly about her health, describes how she dealt with the possibility of serious illness while continuing to shoulder political responsibilities. Her account also explains why she chose to undergo treatment abroad, how her children Rahul and Priyanka supported her through surgery, and why she kept the second medical emergency away from public attention.

The memoir also revisits another major health incident in August 2016, when Gandhi collapsed during an election rally in Varanasi and suffered a severe shoulder injury that required surgery. Together, these recollections offer a personal account of the medical challenges that unfolded alongside her political career.

Sonia Gandhi Recalls Fear After Breast Cancer Diagnosis in 2010

Gandhi writes that she had not experienced major health problems before the breast cancer scare, apart from occasional asthma, allergies and stomach disorders. However, she says her stomach problems became more frequent and worsened as she grew older and became increasingly involved in politics.

In her memoir, she connects the worsening stomach issues with the stress of public life, recalling that doctors had pointed to stress as one of the major causes of such disorders.

The first major health crisis came in 2010, when doctors advised her to undergo surgery after suspecting breast cancer. Although she says she had complete faith in the medical team at Delhi’s Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, the possibility of a cancer diagnosis left her deeply shaken.

She recalls that doctors informed her and her children that there was no time to lose. The uncertainty surrounding the diagnosis made her think about the possibility of a frightening outcome.

For Gandhi, the medical challenge was accompanied by another concern: the possibility that her private health condition would become a subject of public discussion. Having spent years in the public eye, she still wanted to retain control over personal matters, particularly those involving her health and family.

She explains in the book that the prospect of media attention surrounding her illness was painful and frustrating. She questioned whether becoming a public figure meant losing even a basic level of personal privacy.

Why Sonia Gandhi Chose Surgery in Italy Instead of India

Concerned about the possibility of her medical treatment attracting widespread media attention, Gandhi decided against undergoing surgery at Mumbai’s Tata Memorial Hospital. Instead, she travelled to Italy for treatment at the European Institute of Oncology near Milan.

The decision reflected her desire to keep the diagnosis and treatment away from public scrutiny. Gandhi writes that privacy had always been important to her and that she found the prospect of her illness becoming a subject of media discussion deeply distressing.

She travelled for the operation accompanied by a senior officer, her children Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi, Priyanka’s husband Robert Vadra, and her sisters Nadia and Anouchka.

The operation was conducted under the guidance of renowned surgeon Dr Umberto Veronesi. Gandhi’s account places particular emphasis on the emotional support she received from her children as she prepared to enter the operation theatre.

She recalls that Rahul and Priyanka held her hand and kissed her forehead while assuring her that everything would be fine. The moment remained especially significant because it came at a time when the family was confronting the uncertainty surrounding her diagnosis and treatment.

Doctors Removed Two Tumours During Breast Cancer Surgery

According to Gandhi’s recollection, the surgical team removed two tumours during the operation. One of them was not considered suspicious but was also removed as a precaution.

An intra-operative radiation procedure was also performed. Gandhi says this approach spared her from undergoing five weeks of radiotherapy, reducing the additional treatment she would otherwise have faced.

The successful operation brought relief to Gandhi and her family, but the medical concerns did not end there. A follow-up examination approximately a year later revealed another growth, this time in her pancreas.

The discovery triggered fears that the earlier cancer might have returned. Gandhi writes that she and her family initially believed the pancreatic growth could represent a recurrence of the previous problem.

Second Cancer Scare: Pancreatic Growth Discovered in 2011

The pancreatic growth was detected during a follow-up examination in 2011, a year after Gandhi’s breast cancer surgery. The finding came as another major shock because the possibility of a serious condition had once again entered the family’s life.

Following consultations, doctors advised her to undergo surgery without delay. The growth was initially suspected to be a neuroendocrine tumour, a possibility that would have involved a lengthy operation and an extended hospital stay.

Gandhi was subsequently referred to Erasmus University Medical Centre in Rotterdam, where she received treatment from pancreatic surgeon Dr Casper van Fijck.

Despite reassurances from her family and medical team, she says she remained anxious because doctors could establish the actual extent of the disease only after surgery. She worried about the possibility that the growth might be metastatic and questioned whether she would recover from the operation.

Her account describes the emotional pressure of waiting for a definitive medical assessment. Even with experienced doctors involved in her treatment, uncertainty about the nature of the growth left her imagining the worst possible outcome.

Manmohan Singh Was Among the Few Informed About Her Second Surgery

Unlike the first operation, Gandhi kept her trip to Rotterdam largely secret. She informed only a small group of people before leaving India, including then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and a few senior colleagues.

The decision reflected her continuing effort to protect her medical privacy. The second health scare was not widely discussed publicly at the time, and her memoir now provides details of the circumstances surrounding the treatment.

The surgery eventually brought reassuring news. Dr van Fijck later explained that the growth had been detected at an early stage and was in a preliminary precancerous condition.

Gandhi writes that she had been fortunate because the tumour was identified before it progressed further. The assessment offered significant relief after the uncertainty that had surrounded the diagnosis and the possibility of a more serious disease.

Her account distinguishes this pancreatic scare from the earlier breast cancer diagnosis. Although the initial suspicion raised fears of a recurrence, the subsequent medical assessment described the pancreatic growth as being in a preliminary precancerous stage.

Sonia Gandhi Also Recalls Collapsing During 2016 Varanasi Rally

Gandhi’s memoir also revisits a separate health emergency in August 2016, when she collapsed during an election rally in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. The incident occurred during a road journey through crowded streets, where large numbers of people had gathered on both sides of the route and were raising slogans in support of the Congress.

She writes that the convoy continued for nearly five hours. The prolonged journey and mounting fatigue eventually took their toll, and she collapsed before being flown to Delhi for treatment.

During the flight, Gandhi says she drifted in and out of consciousness. She also recalls experiencing what she describes as a vision of her late husband, former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, who appeared to reach out to her with a reassuring smile.

Sheila Dikshit, who accompanied Gandhi during the flight, later told her that she had suddenly smiled while the people around her were dealing with the tense situation. Gandhi believes that the smile coincided with the moment when she saw Rajiv in her vision.

However, the collapse also left her with a badly broken shoulder. The injury was serious enough to require another operation, adding to the medical procedures she had undergone over the years.

Her recollection combines the physical consequences of the fall with the emotional experience of the journey to Delhi. It also highlights how the demands of election campaigning could coincide with personal health challenges.

How Health Challenges Overlapped With Sonia Gandhi’s Political Life

The health experiences described in the memoir unfolded during an important period in Gandhi’s political career. Her breast cancer diagnosis came during the second term of the United Progressive Alliance government, when she was a central figure in national politics.

Gandhi writes that the pressures associated with political responsibilities coincided with worsening stomach problems. Her recollections describe the difficulty of managing personal health concerns while remaining involved in the demands of public life.

Her decision to keep the two major cancer-related scares private also reflects the tension between public responsibilities and personal boundaries. As a prominent political leader, her health could attract intense public attention, but she wanted medical decisions and family concerns to remain outside the political spotlight.

The memoir provides a retrospective account of those experiences rather than a detailed medical report. Its descriptions of diagnoses, operations and recovery are based on Gandhi’s personal recollections and the assessments communicated to her by doctors at the time.

Her account also places her children and close family members at the centre of the experience. Rahul and Priyanka accompanied her during the first surgery, while a small circle of trusted political colleagues was informed about the second operation.

What Sonia Gandhi’s Memoir Reveals About Her Private Life

Belonging: A Journey of Love is a 526-page memoir published by HarperCollins India and released on Tuesday. Gandhi, who turns 80 next month, traces her life from her childhood in post-war Italy to her marriage into the Nehru-Gandhi family and her subsequent entry into Indian politics.

The book also covers the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi and the personal experiences that shaped her life after his death. Alongside political developments, it offers accounts of family relationships, private struggles and events that remained largely outside public discussion.

The health revelations form an important part of that personal narrative. Gandhi describes two major cancer-related scares, multiple operations and the anxiety associated with waiting for medical results. She also recounts the 2016 collapse that resulted in a serious shoulder injury.

These episodes show how her private medical experiences unfolded alongside years of political activity. Rather than presenting them as isolated incidents, the memoir places them within the wider story of her family life and public responsibilities.

Two Cancer Scares and Multiple Surgeries: Key Details From the Memoir

Gandhi’s recollections identify three major health episodes covered in the memoir: the breast cancer diagnosis in 2010, the discovery of a pancreatic growth in 2011 and the collapse during the Varanasi rally in August 2016.

The first operation took place in Italy, where doctors removed two tumours and performed intra-operative radiation. The second surgery was carried out in Rotterdam after doctors identified a pancreatic growth that was initially suspected to be a neuroendocrine tumour but was later described as being in a preliminary precancerous stage.

The 2016 incident was different from the earlier medical scares. Gandhi collapsed after a prolonged election rally journey and suffered a badly broken shoulder that required another operation.

By sharing these experiences in her memoir, Gandhi has offered a rare account of the personal challenges that remained largely hidden during her years in public life. Her recollections underline the importance she placed on privacy while navigating serious medical uncertainty and the demands of political leadership.