For Radhika (Radhi) Nanalal, being diagnosed with uterine cancer at the age of 33 was both shocking and confronting. However, it was the beginning of a huge journey of self-discovery, ultimately leading to a life filled with more grace, compassion and creativity.
The big C at 33: Radhi’s journey of self-discovery
For Radhika (Radhi) Nanalal, being diagnosed with uterine cancer at the age of 33 was both shocking and confronting. However, it was the beginning of a huge journey of self-discovery, ultimately leading to a life filled with more grace, compassion and creativity.
A life-altering diagnosis
“Throughout my teens and twenties, I faced hormonal challenges, including very heavy periods,” Radhi said. ”By my mid-twenties, after getting married and moving to London, I was diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). I managed the symptoms as best I could, but didn’t think about the longer-term implications.”
PCOS led to fertility challenges and surgery to remove benign uterine and cervical polyps. Radhi also received a treatment called diathermy to laser the ovaries to prompt spontaneous ovulation, and had her endometriosis removed. This treatment resulted in a successful pregnancy with her daughter, Kai, born in 2013.
“Three years after we welcomed our daughter to the world, my husband and I decided to try for a second baby,” Radhi said. “The challenge was that I was experiencing prolonged bleeding between cycles, and painful and extremely bleeding with large clots. Intuitively, I felt something was wrong, and I could not conceive, so I went back to the fertility consultant. Unfortunately, this time, the results showed the polyps were malignant.”
Navigating treatment options
“I was 33 years old at the time. ‘Too young for uterine cancer. That’s for older women,’ I thought. Suddenly, life changed. Having another child didn’t seem possible when it had always been an option. It was a lot to digest,” Radhi said.
Radhi’s fertility consultant referred her to a gynaecological oncologist based in London, who specialised in treating younger women. Knowing Radhi wanted to possibly have more children, Dr Angus Macindoe recommended a conservative and innovative treatment using the Mirena, an intrauterine device (IUD) combined with progesterone tablets.
“I challenged him to only use the IUD,” Radhi said. “The cancer was contained in the polyps. It was Stage 1, Grade 2, and slow-moving. He agreed to give me three months using the IUD only before reassessing my health.”
Finding clarity in the chaos
“I took my diagnosis as God’s tap on the shoulder – a gentle whisper to say, ‘wake up’,” Radhi said. “I jumped on the wellness train, determined to improve my diet and lifestyle. I did hot yoga. I fasted. I cut dairy, wheat, processed foods, and sugar from my diet. I wanted to give myself the best possible chance of being around for my young daughter.
“I also realised I had to stop running from all life had thrown at me and address some emotional stuff that my body was holding on to, and that was making me unwell. I had to learn that forgiveness was for me. I had to learn the art of letting go.
“We don’t talk enough about how we use food and lifestyle as comfort when we are emotionally dysregulated. Yoga and meditation became powerful tools for me to rediscover that food and lifestyle are also powerful medicine.
Starting a new chapter
As a by-product of her radical diet and lifestyle changes, Radhi dropped 20 kilograms. Her metabolic rate changed and even reversed her PCOS. Her periods returned to being regular and without significant pain. When she returned to Dr Macindoe after three months, she hadn’t felt so good in years and received the all-clear. He encouraged her to keep doing what she was doing and said he had not seen such a reversal so quickly.
Three months stretched to six and then a year. Every year felt like a significant milestone.
In 2021, five years after Radhi’s diagnosis, her family made a bold choice, opting to repatriate to Australia. Leaving the care of Dr Macindoe and his team was hard; however, after much research and deliberation, Radhi found Dr Andreas Obermair, Cherish’s Founder and leader of the Queensland Centre for Gynaecological Cancer Research. In 2022, Radhi had her annual check-up in Australia with Dr Obermair, celebrating another year cancer-free.
She is now nine years all-clear with four of those nine years under Professor Obermair’s care.
Embracing wellness and advocacy
Radhi had previously worked in the regulatory and safety sector of the pharmaceutical industry. She stopped working in this area two years after having her daughter. With her health back on track, Radhi completed yoga training in London in 2018 and started a female-focused fashion lifestyle brand called I AM PLYLGRYM. She currently designs collections for I AM PYLGRYM and manages a yoga studio on the Gold Coast called Fire Shaper. Through both, Radhi advocates that women take conscious control of their wellbeing.
“We have so much to learn by pausing and becoming aware of our behaviour and listening to our body,” Radhi said. “If you have hormonal imbalances, please go and seek help. Talking about it could save your life. At the very least, it will enhance your life.”
Serendipitous connections and community
Radhi was shopping at The Standard Market Company when she struck up a serendipitous conversation with its owner, Darren Frame, about a sign above the grapes.
“It read, ‘You have to be grapeful’ and it made me laugh,” Radhi said. “I explained to Darren that, as a cancer survivor, I appreciated fresh, local produce. He told me about his wife, Nikki, and her groundbreaking treatment by Dr Obermair. Suddenly, we had a whole world in common, and I made sure I was at the next Gold Coast Cherish fundraising lunch.”
While Radhi describes her uterine cancer diagnosis as an extremely challenging period in her life, she recognises that it also delivered an unexpected gift – the opportunity to pause, reflect and transform her life.
“Through cancer, I learnt the art of coming home to myself. For that, I am eternally grateful.”
If you would like to help fund research into uterine cancer and raise awareness that will add years to women’s lives and life to their years, please:
An advocate for women looking and feeling good from the inside out, Radhi also invites the Cherish community to enjoy:
If you would like to ask a question about fundraising or give us some feedback, please contact us via the form and let’s chat.
Alternatively, please contact Amy Hyslop, Fundraising and Development Manager on 0488 333 723 or email fundraising@cherish.org.au
You can also direct message us on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.
If you need professional, confidential support about a gynaecological cancer diagnosis or treatment, please call Cancer Council’s free service on 13 11 20.
Cherish Women’s Cancer Foundation | Registered as Gynaecological Cancer Foundation Ltd | ABN 86 158 553 229
Cherish Women’s Cancer Foundation © 2026 | Developed by
