'Put On Weight, Lost Hair': Hina Khan Credits Spirituality For Helping Her Cope With Chemotherapy Effects

Hina Khan is one of the most prominent faces of television. The Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai star is not only known among her fans for delivering stellar performances but also for her resilient fight against cancer.

On June 28, 2024, the actor took to Instagram to share that she had been diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer. "Despite the challenging diagnosis, I want to reassure everyone that I am doing well. I am strong, determined, and fully committed to overcoming this disease," she mentioned in her post.

In December 2025, she featured on Soha Ali Khan's All ABout Her podcast and opened up about her cancer journey, chemotherapy, and personal life.

How Spirituality Helped Hina Khan Fight Cancer

Sharing the emotional toll of her cancer diagnosis and the disease itself, Hina Khan said, "It was hard."

She shared that she had always been petite and had a lean physique. "I put on a lot of weight. My body changed. I lost my hair. That's one blow, which is very very hard," she shared with the host.

The actor tried to make peace with the effects of the disease and the treatment, but seeing herself in the mirror was hard. Initially, she was brave about it, but as soon as it all started sinking in, she found it difficult to stay positive about the road ahead.

However, the love and support around her helped keep her spirits up. She kept reminding herself that it was all temporary. She said, "I have always believed that everything in life has a life. The physical appearance changes. Vanity does affect you. But I think sanity should replace it."

The actor added that a person battling cancer must create a loop of positivity around themselves, be it family, meditation, spirituality, or faith. "Especially spirituality. It has changed me," she added.

Hina Khan also said that a person has to give their 100% no matter what the situation is, knowing they don't have control over what happens next.

"It Was Extremely Hard," Hina Khan On Chemotherapy

During the conversation, Soha Ali Khan asked Hina to share her chemotherapy experience. "It was tough. Really tough. Those days were extremely tough," she said.

The actor shared that every patient has a gap of at least a week between two chemotherapy sessions. Depending on the diagnosis, some patients may have three-week intervals. Hina used to go for a session every three weeks.

"So my first week used to be extremely hard. Extremely hard. So painful," she shared, adding that the effects depend on the medicine.

"I used to get a lot of neuropathic pain in my body. I had a lot of pain in my nerves throughout my body. It was unbearable," the actor told the host.

Some pain medication used to help her, but it did not completely eliminate the pain. Medication only helps reduce the intensity of the pain, but it subsides gradually on its own.

"It takes a week, but the rest of the two weeks used to be fab," she added. Hina travelled and did everything she wanted to do during those two weeks. "It's the way you look at it," she said in a motivational message.

For some, getting diagnosed with cancer might be the end of life, but for Hina, it was "just a phase." When she was diagnosed, she decided to fight cancer. "There are good days too," she remembered, adding that she decided it wasn't the end of her story.

Hina shared that she was ready to do anything rather than give up. "Even if it's manageable, I will manage," she said, adding that the will to live every day to the best of your ability kept her going.

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