Unintentional discovery leads to war against cancer
Pha, Thai, is a flight attendant of Thai airline. At the end of 2017, she accidentally discovered that there was a small lump in the breast. She went to a local hospital for biopsy but did not find any cancer cells. She did not do any treatment but was told to pay attention. She set it aside and plunged into her busy work again.
Unfortunately, only 3 months later, the lump grew up to five centimeters big. She panicked and went to another hospital for a comprehensive examination. The results confirmed the diagnosis of breast cancer in stage 4, implying great therapeutic risk. The attending doctor planned treatment for her. Amazingly, with the persistence and encouragement from family, she survived 16 times of chemotherapy, total mastectomy and 25 cycles of radiotherapy. All treatments were completed in December 2018 and she left the hospital.
Soon after, she felt pain on her back. She thought it was caused by fatigue or exhaustion. Later, she found the pain getting more often. In June of 2018, she went to her former doctor for mammography. The breasts are normal, but CT scan on the back detected bone metastases. She had to, once again, started the war against cancer.
Pain in the body, torture in the heart
This medical report disrupted her life again. She was immersed in severe pain. Facing bone metastasis, local doctors recommended her to undergo radiotherapy and take oral medication. It was a hard time for her since she did not know if she should continue current treatment or try her luck in other hospitals. She tried morphine to stop the pain to relieve the symptoms so that she could sleep, but morphine cannot cure the disease. In desperation, she recalled that her friend's mother who had gone to Guangzhou Fuda Hospital in China for cancer treatment 10 years ago and no recurrence after treatment was noted. Through her friend’s help, she contacted the Fuda and sent a brief description of her situation to staff of Fuda at Bangkok office. With the help from the staff of Fuda, she learnt that there are other choices and no need for radiotherapy at the moment. Hearing this, she burst into tears. She contacted friends and father-in-law in US, a German doctor, to learn more about Fuda. Her father-in-law told her that treatment offered by Fuda is standard, modern treatment, and they are used in the United States and Europe. The freezing technology and Nano-knife technology enjoy a certain reputation in the world and are also available in the US. She finally decided to come to Guangzhou, just 2-hour flight from Thailand, to have treatment.
Alleviate the suffering of the people and extend the lives of the people
In mid-July of this year, she was admitted to Fuda with a bit of concern. In consultation office, doctor asked her questions in details and conducted a comprehensive and detailed examination. Doctor not only found bone metastases in bilateral ribs, multiple thoracic vertebrae, lumbar vertebrae, atlas, multiple bilateral metatarsal, with formation of lesions in neighboring soft tissue, but also found that there are 5 metastases in liver. Experts concluded, after discussion, that three of the five lesions can be directly treated, and tumor activity of the other two can be reduced through anhydrous alcohol ablation followed by chemotherapy. In that room, doctor’s gentle and devoted attitude eased her anxiety that has been torturing her ever since.
“During the hospital stay, I obviously felt that the treatment here was of great quality. The doctor would always take time to come to my ward, asking about my condition that if I have any discomfort or any problems with the diet and telling me some usual precautions. The nurse is also very considerate to take care of me. I remembered once, I wanted to have some water but I cannot get up to get the cup far from me. A young nurse happened to walk in. Seeing this, she poured a cup of warm water without my asking and reminded me gently to be careful. After I finished drinking, she placed the cup safely within the reach of my hand, gently helped me lie down and left quietly." Looking at the back of the nurse, she felt so warm and was convinced that Fuda is the right place."
After thorough observation and analysis, the doctor arranged treatment for her soon. In August 2018, she underwent interventional therapy for liver metastases, followed by a series of surgery and interventional chemotherapy. She said: "I have not heard of interventional chemotherapy before I came to Fuda. The previous 16 times of chemotherapy is systemic chemotherapy, but interventional chemotherapy is different. It is local; chemotherapy drugs were delivered to tumor through tube inserted into large blood vessels in the groin. I had doubts before treatment, but the surgery was completed smoothly."
During recovery process, her condition improved day by day. After blood tests and CT examinations, it is found that blood indicators are getting much better too. On the day of discharge, her husband, holding a bouquet of delicate rose, quietly walked to Pha who was doing her makeup at her room. When she heard her husband’s voice, she looked back and saw those beautiful roses. Holding her husband, she was ecstatic and looked like they have waited this day for too long. They hugged each other and then the medical staff to show gratitude to staff. Upon leaving, Pha also asked the medical staff to tell them where to go for good food in Guangzhou. They wanted to experience the style of Guangzhou as normal tourist.
"When diagnosed with cancer, stay calm, think about what’s next. Think more and give yourself some confidence, because you have to go through this journey by yourself. In the face of treatment, there may be many choices, try to choose standard, modern treatment, adjust the diet with the advice from nutritionist, and choose the best treatment plan that suits you best according to your condition.”
——PHA