Ladana Lung Cancer with Bone Metastasis Thailand

On June 19, the day before Ladana was discharged from hospital, medical workers dressed her up and took her to dinner for celebrating the success of her operation. Ladana was happy like a child. Her hair was carefully combed. And she was on a blue dress with a stylish silk scarf. At 62, she was full of vitality, and didn’t seem like a cancer patient. 

Ladana from Thailand, a last stage lung cancer patient with bone metastasis

In January 2013, Ladana developed symptom of cough and the symptom alleviated after seeing a doctor at local hospital. She didn’t think she would be associated with cancer for there was no history of cancer in her family.

After three months, she had re-examination and found a lump in left lung by CT, which means lung cancer should be considered. “Local doctors suggested surgery to resect the five centimeter large tumor. Then, control the metastases of right lung and lymph nodes by chemotherapy. But doctor wasn’t sure whether I could live for six months after having these treatments. ” Ladana said.

When she felt so rough, she watched a video about latest treatments technology for cancer at Guangzhou Fuda Cancer Hospital at at YouTube by accident. She searched related information and made comparison with treatment technology in US. After consideration, she made her mind to have treatment at Fuda Cancer Hospital, because her life might be save here. 

She sent the results of CT scan and biopsy and other information to the E-mail of Fuda Cancer Hospital to ask treatments. Doctor replied her soon and suggested cryosurgery.

Cryosurgery is a latest technique for treatment of cancer which has been approved by the United States’  Food & Drug Administration (FDA) in 1998 and China’  SDA in 1999. It’s one of characteristic mini-invasive treatments in “CCC+P” cancer treatment mode that created originally by Fuda Cancer Hospital. Cryosurgery is an important ablation technique for tumors. It destroys tumors by cycles of freezing and thawing. Cryosurgery's destructive effects on tumors are due to two major mechanisms, one immediate, the other delayed. The immediate mechanism is the damaging effect of freezing and thawing the cells. The delayed mechanism is the progressive failure of microcirculation; ultimately, vascular stasis becomes operative as an important cause of tumor tissue destruction.

On September 13, Ladana was processing admission at Fuda Cancer Hospital. On September 18, she accepted cryosurgery for left lung and biopsy. And the surgery was successful. Three day later, she could leave hospital and return to her country.

Then, doctor sent e-mail to tell her, the result of gene test showed that she was suited to have targeted therapy and targeted drug could control metastatsis. Doctor told the drug’s name to Ladana. She insisted to take it for three years. During treatment, she paid great attention to diet and kept taking regular exercise. However, she neglected re-examination. Throughout the three year, she never went to hospital for re-examination.

The author asked her, “Why didn’t you go to hospital for re-examination?” Ladana said regretfully, “I thought that targeted drug, healthy diet and regular exercise were enough. It’s not unnecessary to have re-examination because I didn’t feel unwell. Until one day, I got chest congestion and easy fatigue. Therefore, I decided to come back Fuda Cancer Hospital for re-examination. Then the result showed that a tumor which was three centimeter larger than before was in her body.”

The result made Ladana worried and scary. Her mood just likes a shredded paper scattered on the ground, but she couldn’t pick up. She decided to have cryosurgery once again.

Ladana (left 4) and medical workers

Before surgery, doctor explained the risks of it. Because the tumor was close to the helium of the lung and trachea, cryosurgery possibly could cause bleeding, hemoptysis, temporary tracheal obstruction and pulmonary atelectasis. Hearing these complications that may occur, Ladana was worried for several hours, but she still believed Dr. Niu Lizhi’s medical skills. 

In the noon of June 14, she accepted her second cryosurgery. “Before operation, anesthetist gave me a lot of encouragement and let me trust doctor. After operation, doctor sent me to ICU one day for observing condition. During my illness, there were doctors and nurses taking care of me in turn all the time. ” She said.

Three days after operation, Ladana’s indicators of physical examination were normal without complication. Doctor told her she could be discharged from hospital after having a rest for two days.

After being treated at Fuda Cancer Hospital twice, she found that the hospital has not only excellent medical skills but also humanistic care. She said gratefully, “what impressed me most is medical workers’ meticulous care and attention. At the same time, I must express my gratitude to translator and support staff for their high quality service. ”

                                             Ladana and medical workers

Before leaving, Ladana wrote her experience and expression of gratitude to medical workers of Fuda Cancer Hospital on the notebook.

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.

The story of Yang Suhui

Yang Suhui, 56 years old, is a native of Taizhou, Zhejiang province. On June 25, 1991, her 4-year-old son Xu Jianfeng went lost near Southern Mansion, Guangzhou. She has embarked on the road of looking for her son for over 20 years. Even though she has been disappointed many times and gone through divorce, unemployment, fraud, she never thought of giving up. She had thought that she could spend the rest of her life looking for her son, but she never expected that she is left with little time.

At the end of 2014, Yang Suwen was diagnosed with middle stage lung cancer. The illness did not let her give up; instead it only strengthened her determination to find her son. As long as there is a piece of clue, she would travel all the long way to different places across the country with medicine. She is determined to race against with death and find her son before she fells.

However, life is cruel. Long time running has aggravated her condition. Last week, Yang Suhui was diagnosed with advanced lung cancer with bone metastases. When her life is going to fall apart, her best hope is to hear her son call her “mom” again.

Yang Suhui’s story has attracted broad attention from the society after reported by media such as Guangzhou Daily. After read relevant coverage, Xu Kecheng, the Chief President of Fuda Cancer Hospital, decided to lend a helping hand to the mom who is racing against death. He noted that FUDA will appropriate 50,000RMB from Fuda Boai Fund to pay for her medical bill so she can receive treatment at the hospital without worries of financial burden.

Prof. Xu Kecheng, the Chief President of FUDA, is doing physical examination for Ms. Yang Suhui

In the morning of April 6, Yang Suhui was admitted into Guangzhou Fuda Cancer Hospital. Prof. Xu paid a visit to her and encouraged her with his own example. He said, “I was diagnosed with liver cancer 10 years ago. After treatment, I am living a normal life. If I can make it, you can make it as well.”

When it comes to treatment, she expressed her heartfelt wishes-she doesn’t want to do chemotherapy. It turned out that she has been receiving conservative treatment ever since the onset of her disease for fear that chemotherapy would make her lose hair and change her appearance. “I’m afraid my son cannot recognize me when he sees me…”

To meet her wishes, Xu Kecheng noted that a team of specialists will be organized to make treatment plan based on her condition. A comprehensive treatment plan that includes cryo-ablation, vascular intervention and so on will be made to minimize her pain. For now, Yang Suhui is having advanced stage lung cancer. The tumor in right lung is pressing the trachea with blockage in bronchus. Fortunately, Fuda once admitted a patient who has similar condition as Yang Suhui. After treatment, the patient has survived for about 10 years.

Prof. Xu Kecheng said frankly that according to her current condition, the treatments to be applied are not likely to eliminate all the cancer cells but the treatments are able to control the spread of cancer cells and prolong her lifespan.

Yang Suhui held hands tightly with Prof. Xu Kecheng and expressed her appreciation to FUDA for the care and assistance she has received. Reporters from Guangzhou Daily, Southern Metropolis Daily, Nanfang TV, Today’s News of Guangdong TV, Guangzhou TV have covered the benevolent gesture of Fuda Cancer Hospital.

Xu Kecheng, the Chief President of Fuda Cancer Hospital, interviewed by several media of Guangzhou