ISRO chairman S Somanath has revealed that he learnt about being diagnosed with cancer on the day of the launch of India's Aditya L1 mission.

In an interview with Tarmak Media House, Somanath said he underwent an operation to remove the growth in his stomach, followed it up with chemotherapy and was now completely cured of the disease.

"Undoubtedly, they would have been shocked. But now, I perceive cancer and its treatment as a solution. There is a message that it is not incurable," he said when asked about the reaction of his family members to the diagnosis.

He said he had realized that there were some health issues during the launch of the Chandrayaan-3 mission but was not very clear about it.

"I was uncertain about a complete cure at the time, I was undergoing the process," he admitted, highlighting the ongoing nature of his battle against cancer.

Somanath said he would be undergoing regular checkups and scans, but he was now completely cured and has resumed duties.

"No, I do not experience any pain now. I have no pain now. It was simply a growth. They detected it and had it removed," he said in the interview for the WriteTake programme of the media outlet.

Somanath said it was a hereditary disease and it was difficult for his close family to cope with the development, but he was able to alleviate their fears.

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