Mayette is a breast cancer patient from the Philippines. In 2013, she first discovered a lump in her left breast and was later diagnosed with stage II breast cancer. After about two years of treatment, her condition improved. In 2023, Mayette's condition relapsed and an ulcer appeared in her left breast, which continued to grow larger. Later, a huge lump of nearly 7 cm grew in her breast. The worsening condition forced Mayette and her family to consider appropriate treatment methods carefully.

(Interview with Mayette)

Having suffered from the pain of radiotherapy and chemotherapy, I firmly chose minimally invasive treatment

In 2013, Mayette underwent a lumpectomy and axillary lymph node dissection to treat her breast cancer. She also underwent 6 months of chemotherapy and 2 months of radiotherapy following the surgery. According to Mayette, the traditional treatment left her feeling fatigued, experiencing regular nausea and vomiting, unable to eat for 12 consecutive days, and losing a significant amount of weight. The side effects of the traditional treatment caused her a great deal of suffering.

(Mayette)

As the disease recurred and gradually worsened, when facing treatment again, Mayette said: "I can't bear the pain of receiving traditional treatment in the Philippines anymore!" So after learning that St. Stamford Modern Cancer Hospital Guangzhou has minimally invasive treatment with few side effects, Mayette said to her husband: "Let's try minimally invasive treatment!" On March 12, 2024, Mayette came to St. Stamford Modern Cancer Hospital Guangzhou accompanied by her husband.

Minimally invasive treatment shrinks tumor by about 60% in 3 months

Mayette received a detailed examination after admission. Enhanced CT showed that the left breast malignant tumor invaded the surrounding skin and the left pectoralis major muscle. The pathological result was invasive ductal carcinoma. The size of the mass in the left breast was 37mm*68mm. The MDT medical team of St. Stamford Modern Cancer Hospital Guangzhou made a detailed analysis of Mayette's condition and developed a minimally invasive treatment plan of microwave ablation + arterial interventional therapy.

(March 12, 2024 vs June 19th, 2024)

In light of Mayette's severe condition, Director Dai Wenyan of the Breast Cancer Clinical Prevention and Treatment Center at our hospital promptly organized microwave ablation treatment for her left breast mass. Microwave ablation involves using a microwave thermocoagulation needle to puncture the tumor under the guidance of medical imaging equipment. This procedure uses microwaves to generate heat, causing the molecules in the tumor tissue to move rapidly. When the temperature exceeds 60°C, the tumor cell protein denatures and coagulates, leading to irreversible necrosis. Additionally, this treatment can stimulate the body's immune system, enhance immune function, and help inhibit the spread of tumor cells.

8 days later, Mayette received percutaneous arterial infusion chemotherapy and embolization under local anesthesia. By July 2024, Mayette had received one microwave ablation and six interventional treatments, and her condition had improved significantly. Her CT scan in June showed that the tumor had shrunk to 16mm*28mm.
 
Grateful for minimally invasive treatment with almost no side effects

The minimally invasive treatments that Mayette received can precisely treat tumor lesions, with minimal trauma and damage to surrounding normal tissues. After the treatment, Mayette's body recovered very well and her life was not affected at all. According to Mayette, her reaction after treatment is completely different from the traditional treatment she received a few years ago. She doesn’t feel nausea or vomit, eats well, sleeps well, and feels the same as usual. After every treatment, she only needs to rest in bed for 24 hours, and the next day she can take care of herself without any assistance. During this period, she did not have a fever and her blood pressure was normal. She said she was very grateful for the minimally invasive treatment she is receiving now.

Attentive medical staff to make the treatment process full of warmth

Mayette said that the medical team of St. Stamford Modern Cancer Hospital Guangzhou is proficient in medical technology. They will make rounds every day and pay close attention to her physical recovery. The nurses are also very considerate and helpful. Although this is a foreign hospital for her, the overall atmosphere is like another warm home. Before coming to St. Stamford Modern Cancer Hospital Guangzhou for treatment, she and her family were worried about the language barrier. During the treatment period, she found that the hospital had 24-hour translators on duty, so communication was not a problem at all.

(Mayette and Doc. Zhang Ruiying)

(Mayette and her husband)

Mayette's birthday was on May 8. For her, the day was full of surprises. She never expected that the medical staff would prepare flowers and cakes to celebrate for her. She said that in addition to treatment technology and daily procedures, the hospital also gave patients humanistic care and love at special moments, which came from their emphasis on patients. Here, the relationship between doctors and patients can also be full of human touch.

Actively fight cancer and be responsible for ourselves

When many cancer patients find out they have cancer, their first reaction is fear and helplessness, and Mayette is no exception. Although cancer makes her exhausted, she has been trying to stay optimistic, actively consult doctors, and receive treatment. She said that as a cancer patient, she must help herself, be responsible for herself, supplement her nutrition, exercise, and keep in touch with her family and friends for emotional support. In those difficult times, Mayette's husband always stayed with her and gave her firm support. In an interview, Mayette expressed her love to her husband: "I want to say from the bottom of my heart, thank you very much, thank you for your support, love, and encouragement over the years. We will get through this extra challenge in life together. Love you!"

I hope that people who suffer from cancer like Mayette can overcome their fear like her, fight cancer with an optimistic attitude, supplement nutrition, exercise, enrich themselves from every little thing every day, gather energy with doctors, and ultimately defeat cancer!

*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.