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Few institutes last long and fewer maintain their pre-eminent position throughout their life. They are called temples of their silo. Tata Memorial Hospital and Centre (TMC) is one such temple of healing. The contribution of TMC in patient care, education and research is unique and reasons for its success are varied. It is probably the best  expression of Tata culture, Government's commitment, dedication and autonomy of people who ran it. A glimpse into the journey with its changing vision towards a pointed mission of conquest of cancer in India is captured in words., Competing Interests: Conflict of InterestThe authors declare no competing interests., (© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Indian Association of Surgical Oncology 2022.)

Biomedical research is crucial for any country's progress and the health of its ethnic population. This effort needs to be sustained and well supported for it to bear optimum results. The major stakeholders in medical research are the general public, patients, researchers, physicians (and medical institutions), the pharmaceutical industry, regulatory authorities, and the government. Much of the pressure to perform cutting edge research in developed countries is driven by the general public; however, this has been conspicuous by its absence in India. This is largely due to misconceptions that medical research in developing countries is an experimental exercise using human beings as guinea pigs, primarily benefiting only the pharmaceutical industry and a general lack of awareness about the importance of original research within the country. This editorial addresses various issues related to public involvement in biomedical research and suggests the need for solutions and imperative remedial measures.

The decision of the actress, Angelina Jolie (AJ), to undergo preventive risk-reducing bilateral mastectomy has elicited extreme responses, in support and against. We will discuss whether her decision was justified and if there are other options available to women. AJ, who is 38 years old, inherited the BRCA 1 gene. Because of the lack of randomised trials, there is controversy about the overall benefit that various risk-reduction strategies offer carriers of the BRCA 1, but some of the strategies offer a clear benefit. The decision to opt for mastectomy must be driven by the patient's choice, evidence on the balance of the risks and benefits, the quality of life after surgery and issues relating to body image.

This is an opinion piece on how a celebrity's personal choice to undergo prophylactic mastectomy on discovery of an aberrant gene, when publicly promoted, carries in itself the power to influence and impact healthcare trends and decisions. When celebrities advocate causes that are universally and uniformly acceptable and indisputable as the best in the realm of healthcare and cure (e.g. no smoking), it creates well-being and awareness in society at large. But those which are personal choices made out of a repertoire of other available and effective options may, because of celebrity preference, don the mantle of a norm. They thus run the danger of being blindly replicated by others without proper awareness and knowledge of the true potential of disease, risk factors, and other existing remedial or risk-reducing measures. Society should thus be encouraged to question, debate, and understand the validity, authenticity, and reason of the choices, especially those with a medical basis. This tempering of information with intelligence and rationale and making informed choices based on facts will serve humanity as a whole.