On November 15, 2023, St. Stamford Modern Cancer Hospital Guangzhou held "Belt and Road Holistic Integrated Oncology Training Base-The Come-home Gala of Anti-Cancer Stars" activity. The activity invited 9 international anti-cancer stars from various countries to share their anti-cancer experience and journey.

Ms. Chen, a parotid gland cancer anti-cancer star from Malaysia, was invited to participate in this activity. As an anti-cancer star who has successfully fought against cancer for more than 6 years, Ms. Chen was overcome with emotion at the scene and affectionately shared her past anti-cancer experience and mental journey with everyone.

Ms. Chen’s photo with other anti-cancer stars

Surgery and chemotherapy left me covered in scars

Ms. Chen, 40 years old, is a parotid gland cancer patient from Malaysia. In November 2015, Ms. Chen discovered a 2*3cm mass behind her right ear. She was diagnosed with parotid gland cancer during a local examination. From February to August 2016, Ms. Chen underwent parotidectomy and 33 rounds of radiotherapy in Malaysia. However, in October, metastasis was still found, and it moved to the inside of the right eye. At this time, the doctor recommended surgical resection and removal of the right eye, which made Ms. Chen deeply afraid.

In the past, Ms. Chen did not talk too much to her family in order not to worry them, but chose to face it alone. However, these treatments still left scars on Ms. Chen’s body, and multiple rounds of radiotherapy also caused changes in Ms. Chen's skin, causing swelling on the right side of her face. Now faced with such a crisis, Ms. Chen was scared and had no choice but to tell her family the truth. With the support of her family, Ms. Chen, who was determined to save her eyes, searched for treatment methods on the Internet. Finally, Ms. Chen found St. Stamford Modern Cancer Hospital Guangzhou. After getting to know the hospital in detail, Ms. Chen think this might be her last chance and decided to cross the country to seek medical treatment!

(Before treatment in February 2017: The sinus cavity is filled with tumor material, and the eyeball is squeezed and displaced)

Minimally invasive treatment saved my eye

Now I have lived for more than 6 years

In 2017, 33-year-old Ms. Chen came to our hospital alone. After careful examination, the hospital's MDT team formulated a comprehensive minimally invasive treatment plan of Interventional Therapy + Particle Implantation Therapy for Ms. Chen. Before treatment, in order to alleviate Ms. Chen's worries, the attending doctor gave Ms. Chen a detailed explanation: Interventional therapy uses precision instruments such as special guide wires to inject anti-tumor drugs into the tumor and embolize the blood supplying arteries of the tumor, thereby shrinking or even disappearing the tumor. It has the advantages of less trauma, fewer side effects, and faster recovery. Particle implantation is to implant 125 iodine particles into tumors or tissues infiltrated by tumors. The gamma rays released by the particles can act as internal radiation therapy on tumors and can effectively treat metastatic tumor lesions. After the first interventional treatment, in just 3 days, the tumor under Ms. Chen's right eye shrank significantly. After the fourth treatment, there were basically no abnormalities on her face.

(March 2017, after the first interventional treatment)

(The tumor material in the sinus cavity is reduced, the cavity is basically restored to normal, and the eyeball returns to normal)

(Before treatment VS after first treatment)

"She had a total of 4 interventional treatments and seed implantation in our hospital, and her symptoms improved during the second interventional treatment, and after a series of treatments, the tumor in her body is now suppressed. ” During the activity, Dr. Lin, Ms. Chen's former attending doctor, also shared Ms. Chen's condition.

(After the 4th treatment)

"The treatment plan given to me by the local hospital in Malaysia is traditional surgery and chemotherapy, because my tumor grows around the eye, so I may lose one eye if I go through the surgery, but the treatment here is minimally invasive, it’s a way that doesn’t require surgery, and here I successfully saved my eye!" "It's like I'm going on vacation, I take a few days off and go back, and others don't know that I'm coming for treatment." In the interview, Ms. Chen talked about the difference in treatment efficacy between the two places and the reason why she finally chose our hospital, Ms. Chen said with some surprise and delight.

Now, since 2017, Ms. Chen has successfully saved her eye and survived with cancer for more than 6 years.

Hospital medical team witness her medical journey

"My first impression here is very good, because I am Chinese, coming here is like coming home, the medical staff will prepare me for everything in the hospital, and the service here is much better than what I have experienced in Malaysia. ” During the activity, Ms. Chen expressed her gratitude and praise to the medical staff of the hospital. "The doctor here comes every morning to do rounds and ask how we're feeling, so I'm basically relaxed every day. ”

Since Ms. Chen came alone, in order to avoid her feeling of inappropriateness and insecurity in a foreign country, the medical staff at the hospital gave her more care and timely comfort. Perhaps it is precisely these reasons, coupled with optimistic and enthusiastic personality, that the hospital staff were able to witness a warm medical journey. "When Ms. Chen first came to our hospital for treatment, she was not in a good state, she looked weak, and her right eye was bulging, which even affected her normal life. After several interventional treatments, She looks completely normal, there are basically no side effects, and her condition is getting better and better. In the follow-up visits, her condition was well controlled, and there was no sign of recurrence. ” The medical staff who took care of Ms. Chen during her hospitalization were amazed and said that they were very happy to see such a big change in Ms. Chen, and hoped that she would get better and better in the future!

 

Helping others make yourself will also become better

Ms. Chen is a lively person with an interesting soul,which is not only manifested in the all kinds of difficulties and she still chooses to be strong and optimistic , during her stay in our hospital, she also continued to use her personal charisma and strength to comfort and encourage other international friends who came with her for treatment.

(Ms. Chan now)

"When Ms. Chen has no treatment schedule, she often chats with other patients or doctors and nurses, and she can always make everyone laugh, which is simply a 'pistachio'. The young nurse who often chatted with Ms. Chen said. what is even more valuable is that when she learned that a nasopharyngeal cancer patient came to the hospital alone like her, she offered to share a room in the hope of becoming friends and helping and encouraging each other. "Some patients may still be in a bad state, but my mentality is petty good, so sometimes I will chat with them to make everyone relax. I think this is a good thing. When helping others, My mentality will also become better.”

In this activity, Ms. Chen also experienced a wonderful trip to Guangzhou with other anti-cancer stars. They took a night tour of the Pearl River to experience the prosperity of the modern city, and visited the Baomo Garden together to observe the breadth and profundity of Chinese culture. There is no trace of cancer on them, but instead they have a 100% smile and a positive optimism and energy.

(Guangzhou Tour)

In the final anti-cancer message session , Ms. Chen's eyes were extremely determined. "I feel very happy to be back here as a cancer warrior and I come back here after so many years. "I would like to say to other anti-cancer patients that cancer is not terrible, the most important thing is to adjust your mentality, accept yourself for who you are in the moment, so that you can have a bright future. ”

Introduction to Minimally Invasive Techniques

【Interventional Therapy】

Interventional therapy, under the guidance of medical imaging equipment, the use of special guide wire and other precision instruments to directly inject anti-tumor drugs 2~8 times higher than the intravenous drip drug concentration into the tumor, and at the same time embolize the blood supply artery of the tumor, so as to achieve the purpose of tumor shrinkage or even disappearance.

1. It has the advantages of small trauma, few complications, safety and fast recovery

2. It is suitable for patients with ineffective of traditional radiotherapy and chemotherapy, unwilling or unsuitable for surgery

 

【Particle Implantation Therapy】

Particle implantation therapy, commonly known as "Particle Knife", implants 125 iodine particles into the tumor or tissues infiltrated by the tumor, and through the γ rays released by the 125 iodine particles, it plays an internal radiation therapy effect on the tumor to achieve the same effect as scalpel resection. It is suitable for patients with metastatic tumor lesions, unsuitable for surgery, postoperative recurrence and intolerance to traditional chemotherapy & radiotherapy

*Surgery, in addition to the appropriate chemotherapy and radiotherapy, are effective in treating early cancer, but certain patients in late stage of cancer may not be tolerate surgery well as they can be relatively weak. A combination of carefully planned minimally invasive therapy, chemotherapy or radiotherapy can effectively reduce the side effects and discomfort of treatment and may help patient get better efficacy.