"I witnessed my friends nausea and vomiting and wasting away extremely fast because of chemotherapy, that scene seemed to linger in front of my eyes, I was afraid that I would become like that too, and it scared me, so when my husband suggested that I go for the treatment, I told him no to chemoradiotherapy, that I couldn't stand the side effects that come with chemoradiotherapy. " Venus sounded fearful.

（Interview with Ms. Venus）

When dietary therapy fails, turn to minimally invasive techniques for help

Venus Bernaldez, 54, from the Philippines, found her right nipple depressed in 2018 but did not think it was a major development and did not go to the hospital for treatment. In December 2020, she discovered a hemorrhage in her right nipple but did not care about it. As time grew, the right breast lesions expanded and the haemorrhage increased. As a result, she was diagnosed with invasive catheter cancer at a local hospital in July 2023.

[Venus Personal Photos]

The moment she learned she had cancer, Venus showed admirable resilience and positivity. However, when faced with the traditional chemoradiotherapy regimen proposed by the local doctors, she resolutely refused it after much deliberation. Traditional treatments can be very damaging to a person's body, bringing with them a series of side effects such as dizziness, nausea and vomiting, anemia and weakness, decreased immunity, and may even cause irreparable damage to other organs, which will have a great impact on Venus' life later on. "After the diagnosis, I have been looking for alternatives. One of my friends is a dietitian, so I have tried with her help to go through food therapy methods, eating highly nutritious foods, controlling sugar, etc., but the results have not been good."

In December 2023, Venus suffered an accidental fall that resulted in a fracture of her left wrist, which not only caused her physical pain but also made it extremely difficult to clean the wound on her right breast. Watching his wife in pain and helplessness, Venus's husband was heartbroken. He started to look for minimally invasive treatment for breast cancer on the internet, hoping to find a ray of hope for his wife. St. Stamford Modern Cancer Hospital Guangzhou caught his attention, after reading the 18 minimally invasive treatment techniques on the official website of the hospital, he thought it was very suitable for his wife.

Minimally invasive treatment eases worries and relaxes her treatment

They then asked their uncle, a doctor in the Philippines, about the benefits of minimally invasive techniques and recommended them for treatment at the St. Stamford Modern Cancer Hospital Guangzhou. They conducted telemedicine consultations through the Manila International Service Center. During the consultation, the director explained the interventional therapy and the benefits to Venus. Interventional therapy is guided by medical imaging equipment, the drug is injected directly into the tumor through a 1-2mm incision. Drug concentrations are 2-8 times higher than chemotherapy drugs, which can kill cancer cells more effectively. It has the advantages of small trauma, quick recovery, fewer side effects, without the fear of dizziness, nausea, and vomiting, and does not cause damage to other organs, which can greatly alleviate Venus's concerns about traditional side effects.

(Venus with Dr. Lin Jing and Dr. Adnan)

After learning more about interventional therapy, Venus and her husband came to St. Stamford Modern Cancer Hospital Guangzhou with great expectations. After a series of meticulous and professional examinations, the MDT of the hospital formulated a treatment plan of interventional therapy and microwave ablation for her. "Microwave ablation applies to invasive breast cancer, which is guided by medical imaging equipment, the needle is punctured into the tumor. The thermal effect of the microwave needle caused the local temperature of liver cancer tissues to reach over 70℃ in a few minutes, which caused the tumor target tissues to undergo coagulative necrosis, while the surrounding tissues had little or no damage, thus achieving the purpose of "burning" tumor cells." The doctor explained to her the therapeutic principle of microwave ablation.

"After the first interventional therapy, the doctor said that my tumor was effectively controlled, and compared to the first admission checkup, the tumor had shrunk significantly, from the original 8.5x3.2cm to 7.9x2cm," said Venus with a joyful smile on her face, as she excitedly shared that after undergoing the treatment, she hardly ever felt any discomfort, as if the whole treatment was just a relaxing dream. When she woke up, the treatment was over without a trace, she had no dizziness, nausea, or vomiting, and her daily life was not affected in any way.

(before treatment)

(after treatment)

Meticulous medical care removes border barriers and boosts confidence in the fight against cancer

During her treatment at the hospital, Venus felt very comfortable with the hospital's medical services, "When my treatment was over for the day, my husband and I could go out for a stroll and relax, instead of having to stay inside the hospital and not being able to go anywhere. Moreover, the hospital organizes many activities for us, which makes me feel as if I am in a vacation resort, enjoying a relaxing vacation while receiving treatment without realizing that my condition is gradually going into remission." Here, she no longer needs to worry about her condition all the time, and no longer needs to put herself in a state of anxiety.

(Venus and her husband with doctors)

"Although I don't speak the same language as the healthcare workers, the hospital has language translation services, whenever I need them, those professional translators will always show up in time, they are like angels, they build a bridge of communication between me and the healthcare workers, which makes our communication very smooth." When Venus talks about the medical services she received at the hospital, she laughs at the funny stories with the medical staff.

After Venus' diagnosis of cancer, her husband accompanied her and gave her care and love. "I am very grateful to my husband, who was my nurse, especially after the interventional therapy, he was always helping me and encouraging me. And I want to say to those who, like me, are fighting cancer, Even if you're in a bad situation, don't give up the opportunity to find alternative treatments. Everyone's physical condition is different, one therapy is not suitable does not mean that other therapies are not suitable, do your best to find the right treatment for you, and in St. Stamford Modern Cancer Hospital Guangzhou, you can find the right therapy for you to beat cancer!"

(Venus with her husband)

*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.