A center for treating tumors & prolonging lives

Cancer is probably the most dreaded disease anyone can have. When I received my invitation to the blessing of the new wing of The Fuda Cancer Hospital in Guangzhou, China, I didn’t think twice about going and seeing for myself what the hospital has to offer particularly for cancer patients. Together with media friends, I boarded a direct flight from Manila to Guangzhou which took two hours and 25 minutes. We arrived in Guangzhou, China late in the evening. The following day, we were welcomed by Manila-based Fuda volunteer Edward Puno and his gracious wife Cindy who took us for a tour around the new wing of the Fuda Cancer Hospital. Upon entering the hospital premises, we were all so impressed with the hospital facilities. We were informed that the Fuda Cancer Hospital had dedicated a whole floor to their Filipino patients. Each room is complete with all the amenities, including a flat screen TV which has an ABS-CBN channel. “This it to make every Filipino patient at Fuda Hospital and their respective families feel at home,” explains Puno. 

I was expecting a gloomy hospital atmosphere but was pleasantly surprised to be greeted by a cheerful ambiance which was provided mainly by the elegant interiors and the ever-smiling staff, which is a big plus especially for patients who have nothing to smile about. There was no language barrier problem since the hospital made sure there were coordinators from different countries to specifically attend to the needs of their foreign patients and their families.

Because of the hospital’s high standards, we immediately inquired about the costs of treatments and hospital stay. We were told that regardless of what room patients and their families choose (there are VIP rooms which have a living room, kitchen, and extra bedroom; suite rooms; standard rooms; and rooms for four patients), the total hospital cost remains the same. Once the patient arrives, a proposed treatment plan is given to the patient or a family member. Expect no surprise or additional charges as Fuda doctors do not charge professional fees, which makes the treatment very reasonable and worth every cent.

A money changer, restaurant and coffee shop are conveniently located inside the hospital premises.              

At the helm of this state-of-the-art hospital is chief executive/president Dr. Kecheng Xu, a world-renowned specialist in oncology, gastroenterology, and hepatology. After graduation from Nanton Medical College in 1963, he had his post graduate studies at Fudan University. He was a visiting professor on hepatology and oncology at Chiba University, Japan and took further studies at the Reiter State University, Tulane University, and Johns Hopkins University in the United States. He is the incoming vice president of the International Society of Cryosurgery.

Boasting a very competent team of doctors, Fuda Cancer Hospital has for the last 10 years successfully treated thousands of domestic and international patients. It is the first hospital in China to successfully perform cryosurgery with over 8,000 cases, more than what any other hospital in the world has done. 

Dr. Franco Lugnani, president of the International Society of Cryosurgery based in Italy, has singled out Fuda Cancer Hospital to be the cryotherapy center in the Asia Pacific region for the hospital’s excellent work.

 “Cryosurgery can be done for any part of the body, from head to toe,” says Dr. Lizhi Niu, deputy chief executive of Fuda Cancer Hospital.

Performed mostly under local anesthesia, cryosurgery can be used to treat tumors that could not be removed for early or end-stage cancer. A cryosurgical (CSA) probe is inserted into the tumor and a refrigerant is passed through the probe; the temperature is raised to thaw the frozen tumor. This process is repeated two or three times to complete ablation and thawing of the whole tumor. CSA can be carried out with the help of surgery, endoscope, ultrasound or CT- guided. Percutaneous cryosurgical ablation is a minimally invasive technique with little side effects. It will not cause pain, instead it can stop pain rapidly. CSA is suitable for cancer patients with unresectable tumors or patients that cannot tolerate surgery.

“For those who are beyond surgery or other treatments, cryosurgery aims to extend survival,” he adds.

Dr. Xu explains, “After they have been treated in our hospital, more than 70 percent of these patients experience significant improvement and their survival time has been prolonged, not by months but rather by years. Many patients, including those with liver cancer and lung cancer, have lived for more than five years, with the longest survival time of nine years. Some pancreatic cancer (the “king of cancer”) patients even lived for an additional 55 months.” 

Once a cancer patient comes in, an honest assessment is given as to whether or not the patient can be treated and what he/she can expect. Dr. Mu Feng, president of North District Fuda Hospital, also adds that a routine checkup, particularly a PET CT scan, by a skilled and competent doctor is important.

As there are various approaches to treating cancer, there are also various hospitals in China doing cryosurgery. Thus, one must do an extensive research on which treatment and which hospital can best cater to our sick loved one’s needs. In this age of modern technology, cancer patients, through early detection, do have the chance to survive or, at the very least, extend their lives. The decision is theirs to make.