Yatibahar Shares Her Experience At Fuda Cancer Hospital

If you know less about Fuda Cancer Hospital, pls read this blog of a Malaysian patient, you may know more detail you want.

Yatibahar’s blog content in the following:

Done with fasting and Eid celebration! I promised in my last posting that I will write about my experience in Fuda Cancer Hospital.  I would say it was an excellent experience for me and my sister ~we had less invasive treatment of cryoablation and iodine seeding of which I can feel that the tumor has shrunk tremendously.  My sister also has made an excellent progress.  Before going to Fuda, she was using a cane and she had to use a chair while praying.  Now she can move around without a cane and she can perform her prayers just like a normal person, Alhamdulillah.

A mother of 5, eldest 23 youngest 13. Chronologically, I went to see my GP for a suspected lump on 18th February, 2009 where I have been urgently referred to the Breast Institute. On 3rd March, 2009, I had a thorough check up including mammogram, ultrasound and biopsy. On Thursday 5th March, 2009, I had the diagnosis. The result of biopsy on the lump as well as the gland near the armpit confirmed that it’s cancerous. Had four cycles of chemo before surgery and the lump has gone. Oct 2009 mammogram looked normal but the ultrasound detected a nodule suspected malignancy. Decided not to go for surgery and opt for alternatives. Oct 2010 CT Scan showed that the cancer has regrown - stress of finishing off the PhD maybe. Now that the PhD is done, I'm all out combatting the big C, current regime - ozone plus UV and sodium bicarbonate.

Jan 2013 ~ Stage 4 with mets at the sternum and lung. Start on IV chemo. Prior to that, I had B17 injections.

Oct 2013 ~ lump grew bigger and start on oral chemo to shrink it again before surgery.

Mar 2014 ~ Came to know of a cryosurgery. Went to Fuda for Cryo and iodine seeding in June 2014.

Dec 2014 ~ Another trip to Fuda for immunotherapy & cryo.

As to date, I'm doing great - good appetite, good sleep, able to do whatever I want, go anywhere I like and feel at ease all the time, Alhamdulillah...

Warning : Whatever I write in this blog is just to inform about my journey in battling my cancer. I don't mean to influence anybody to follow my kind of treatment. If you think it will be good for you, then go ahead, if not or if it may cost you a fortune, by all means, don't follow. Being human, we have the power of choice. We may choose whatever we desire; in the end, we are responsible for our own health

We spent around one week in Fuda as per the itinerary.  I brought along my eldest daughter who was on her semester break, to help us around.

Day 1 ~ Took MAS 9.35 am flight, reached Guangzhou Baiyun International airport around 1.35 pm. The flight was smooth, the funny thing was, my daughter cried of ear pain close to landing. The fare to & fro was rm1,420 per person.  We were greeted by a young lady at the airport, who took us to an ambulance van to bring us to Fuda Cancer Hospital. The trip took around an hour passing through highways and even dark scary tunnel. When we reached the hospital, we were brought into a single room with 2 beds. It was a very comfy room with clean toilet! All accessories were around like towels, shower creme, shampoo and even toothbrush & toothpaste! Slippers were also provided. We met Ricky, an Indonesian chinese who work there at the hospital. He can talk malay, what a comfort! We were greeted with orange juice & bread too. The registration process began, and I have to swipe my card for deposits for two persons, me and my sister. After that we had a tour around the hospital and to my surprise, they have prayer room for muslims too. Adding to my surprise, they even have halal corner at the canteen where we can have our breakfast, lunch dinner. They cater from an arabic restaurant and true enough, we have arab food in China! I was expecting chinese food here but it's ok, as long as we have food, it's really good enough. The surprising thing is lunch & dinner cost RMB50 each and the serving was quite big, even though the three of us shared food, we still have leftovers to bring into the room :-) When stomach is already full, the best thing to do was to get a good night sleep after a long tiring day.

Day 2 - The room was also equipped with tv and this morning my daughter discovered that they have channels including CCTV, CNN, some indon channels and to my daughter's surprise ~ the movie channels! At least she would not feel bored accompanying me at the hospital.  As for treatment, we had our blood, urine and feces taken for tests, and in the morning we went through ultrasound and x-ray.  We were free in the afternoon and took the opportunity to walk around the hospital for sightseeing.  There was a market nearby where we bought some fruits including lychee.  Usually we had lychee as a canned food, and we had it fresh while we were there :-)

Day 3 - We were a bit worried that they never mention when the cryosurgery would be performed.  I then told them that I have already bought flight ticket on the following Sunday and I was worried that they cannot perform enough procedures during the time as I was made to aware that after the cryosurgery, I may need two days rest before the iodine seeding can be performed.  To my relief, they informed that the cryosurgery and the iodine seeding would be performed together the next day.  We had CT Scan in the afternoon for them to mark where they can poke in the needles for the cryosurgery and iodine seeding.

Day 4 - My case was the first one and was requested to be ready by 8:00.  They were very punctual indeed and sharp 8:00 they wheeled me to the OT for the procedure. They put me on GA, and I felt that  as soon as I doze off I was woken up again and they were done with the procedure.  It was 9:30.  I was then put into and ICU for recovery.  I was attended by a Malaysian doctor who studied there and worked there as well.  When I was done, my sister was wheeled to the OT for her procedure.

I was supposed to stay in the ICU for a day, but since my condition was ok, I requested to go back to my room as I had to perform my daily prayers and it would be convenient to perform it in my room.  I managed to go toilet by myself for the ablution, the breast felt a bit sore but the pain was manageable.  Had I go for mastectomy, I'm sure I could not get up real soon (based on friends' experience of mastectomy).

The scar healed very fast coz' there were only three holes ~ two for cryo and one for iodine seeding.  If you wonder what a cryosurgery is, it is actually the freezing of the cancer cells to like minus 46 degree celcius and it was done by inserting the argon gas on the tumor to freeze it, followed by helium gas to bring back to normal temperature.  Cancer cells die off when in a very cold condition.  The dead cells would then be removed by the body through the normal elimination process of dead cells in our body.

As for iodine seeding, it is actually a low dose radiation in the form of seeds, the same size of a grain rice.  The purpose is to kill the cancer cells that has spread to other parts of the body.  I had five seeds inserted, while my sister had 30.  We were not supposed to be near babies and pregnant mothers as a precaution.   

Day 5 - Another resting day ~ I was given drips of chinese medication, they said ~ to make me stronger :-) I had a chest x-ray in the afternoon.  The rest of the day, we just browse the internet for our next mission before we leave China ~ shopping!  We mentioned to the nurse about our intention, and the doctor said they could only let us go the next day as we need to take another round of chinese medication day after.

Day 6 - I removed the bandage by myself and the wound healed nicely.  I had a good shower, excited over the fact that we could check out and head to Beijing Lu for shopping :-) When we were done with the drips we packed our things and ready to check out.

The final bill for me was around RMB 35,000 ~ I'm very pleased as it was much cheaper than I expected.  My sister's bill was around RMB 40,000 coz' she had more iodine seedings and other medication than mine.  We then took a cab to a hotel near Beijing Lu.  Feeling quite lost because we don't know any mandarin but were pleased to have discovered the road that was like a shopping heaven  

The mission continued on the next day.  I was quite surprised that only three day after a surgery, we managed to walk a long distance and long hours, shopping, in and out of outlets to find souvenirs for our family as well as place to eat.  We went out around 10 am, came back to the hotel around 6 pm, and  went out again at night til the shops closed at 10 pm.  Just can't imagine where the energy came from :-)

On the next day, we packed our bags and checked out around 11 am.  Such an excellent customer service, the hospital driver picked us up at the hotel and drove us to the airport, and brought us to the check in counter for us to fly home :-)

All in all, it was an exciting experience and I'm really satisfied with it.  Friends that has not met me for quite some times, say that I look good, much better than before.  I plan to go again soon for the immunotherapy.  It is a procedure to strengthen my immune system so that in the future my immune system can fight the cancer cells by itself.  And for it, I need two more trips, to extract my blood out for them to culture and boost my T-cells, and a month after, to infuse the T-cells back into my body.

I’m proud to be the first Malaysian malay to have treatment at Fuda Cancer Hospital :-)  Few weeks back, there was a news saying that one of our MPs died while receiving cancer treatment in Guangzhou.  I checked with Fuda and they had no patient by his name, thank God!  There are lots of cancer hospitals in Guangzhou and various treatments available, and we have to do our research to find out which one suits us.  But then again, if God says it's our time already, regardless of where we are, we still will 'go'.  Just have to be prepared all the time...

Mrs Luo Breast Cancer Hong Kong

No matter who confronts with cancer, he will be frightened.

Mrs Luo from Hong Kong, 46 years old, she once was a stewardess of international flights seven years ago. She told the writer that she had been to lots of international airport while wearing uniforms and heels and carrying luggage and traveled all across the world. Her life was full of fun for every flight. She loved flight to Swizerland best, because she thought sights there were beautiful. Though it was busy, but she loved such life.

Unexpectedly, in early 2009, a sudden cancer diagnosis destroyed her loved life. She had to quit her job and sought medical care here and there. It was the darkest period of her life. Following is Mrs Luo’s narration.

On March, 2009  Breast Cancer Was after Me

On a day of early March, I felt my breast was kind of itchy, so I scratched it. Just one touch, I found a lump in the lateral portion of right breast. At that moment, the words “breast cancer” flashed in my mind. Later on, I thought I shouldn’t be so unfortunate.

Next morning, I went to a well-known private clinic at Hong Kong to have physical examination without telling my family. After conducting examinations like type-B ultrasound, puncture, the doctor confidently told me it was benign fibrosarcoma and it would be fine after removing it by surgery.

Hearing that, I was relieved. However, the day before surgery, I suddenly received a call from the doctor: “Your exam report shows it likely was malignant. But you should still have surgery. I will cut it out. If pathology shows malignant during surgery, I will cut more immediately.” Doctor’s ambiguous words made me lose confidence to him. I decided to find other more professional doctor.

On May, 2009  Surgical Removal

After two months, I found a famous professor of oncology at Hong Kong. We found that the lump had been 2 cm across in ultrasound examination. After surgery, professor said coldly, “the lump has been cut out. But there are still 15% of cancer cells left in your body. Having chemo and radiation therapy, it will reduce 10%. And whether the 5% can be eliminated depends on your luck.” Professor’s words chilled my heart. I didn’t want to entrust my life to such an indifferent doctor.

On July, 2009  Accepting Comprehensive Treatment and TCM

I started to accept natural therapy and Traditional Chinese Medicine introduced by a friend. After half a year, the re-examination showed that there was no cancer cell in my body. But doctor still demanded me to have organic diet and TCM. So I insisted on practicing for four years.

On May, 2014  Lump Was Found in Right Breast again

In early 2014, I felt my body has been improved well. So I stopped taking natural therapy and TCM while working again. Unexpectedly, on May, I found lump in my right breast again. I took natural therapy again. But the tumor became uncontrollable. In the end of 2015, examination showed that the lump had developed to 8*6 centimeters. The biopsy showed that it was invasive ductal carcinoma and postoperative recurrence should be considered.

  

I was upset and wanted to give up. But I was unwilling to give up because of my old parents.

Two Books Made Me Know about FUDA

When I sought for proper treatment plan, I suddenly remembered Nothing but the Truth the book assistant who knew I was a cancer patient lent me when I bought health care products at Hong Kong three years ago. The author was Prof. Xu Kecheng, chief president of Guangzhou Fuda Cancer Hospital.

After reading Prof. Xu’s book, I very agreed with his treatment concept. Fuda Cancer Hospital left me a good impression.

Meanwhile, it reminded me a thing—about ten years ago, a friend of mine was diagnosed with advanced lipoma. Doctor of Hong Kong said he just had three months to live. Then he accepted comprehensive treatment including cryosurgery and so on. Her lifetime was more than 6 years. It’s pity that he died soon after recurrence for he didn’t have re-examination in time.

In early 2016, a long lost friend called me. He is an Indonesian Chinese. He often works for hospital as a translator. He took part on lectures of Fuda Cancer Hospital many times and sent me a lot of material about FUDA. Among them, there was Living with Cancer, a new book written by Prof. Xu Kecheng. He repeatedly reminded me of attending president Niu Lizhi’s lecture at Hong Kong on March 1.

On March 1, I attended Dr Niu’s lecture and consulted him. In my impression, he was modest, gentle and caring.

In 2016   Going to Fuda Cancer Hospital for Treatment

On March 6, I went to Fuda Cancer Hospital to accept treatment. After having interventional therapy, recurrent tumor in right breast and metastatic tumor in right axilla became smaller. I didn’t felt painful during the treatment.

On June 6, Prof. Wang Jianan conducted radical resection of right breast tumor for me. Prof. Wang Jiannan was caring to patient. Before surgery, he told me the surgery was complicated because my lymph nodes in the collarbone and right axilla were connected. But he was sure he could do it well. As expected, the surgery was successful. I very appreciated him. After surgery, I had a good recovery and lived like normal people.

Mrs Luo and doctor Shi Hongxia

(From left) doctor Zhan, Mrs Luo and doctor Shi Hongxia

Mrs Luo and staff of FUDA

During hospitalization at Fuda Cancer Hospital, I was very satisfied with these medical staff. They not only had excellent medical skills, but also were caring to patient. My doctor in charge Shi Hongxia not only paid attention on my changes of medical condition all the time, she also always encouraged me and made me feel that I was not alone at battle with cancer.

Every time I come back to Hong Kong after having treatment at Fuda Cancer Hospital. Friends meet me all say that I was energetic and totally unlike a cancer patient. After having cancer, I learn more about gratitude. I thank my family, friends, doctors and nurses very much. They helped me to gain confidence and power during fighting against cancer.

I survive! I hope all cancer patients can defeat cancer and wish them a happy and wonderful life!

Cancer Patients Survival Is The Hard Truth

We all know cancer is like a disaster for a person even for a whole family, especially for terminal cancer. Many of netizen will introduce their finding of natural herbal medicine to treat cancer, but to tell the true, most of natural herbal medicine just in help for cancer the same as to Chinese traditional medicine, so when the herbal is used to treat cancer? And what kind of treatments do you think are effective to advanced cancer patients. Here let me tell you the true.

Tell The True

At present, medium and advanced cancer are hard to be crued, they just can be treated well to prolong the patients’life, well, it is not a absolute, it may be also a change to be cured, but i wonder how do you define “cure” of cancer? what kind of extent do you think is “cure”? First, we need to turn to several ways to explain it:

For different patients caused different cancers, some of them are on early or medium stage, some of them are suffering from advanced cancer, early stage can be easier cured by surgery or ordinary treatment like chemo or radiation though there is much side effect and pain, but medium and advanced cancer are a hard nut to crack, because the cancer cells have attached and invaded to your large tissue, it is a terrible situation, well, that required most complicated treatments and surgery to kill the cancer cell. Let us make a assumption, if you have an advanced cancer and you did find the good doctors and treatments you think, the doctor said your cancer can be cured or you can live 5-10 years, well, i think the doctor tell the true, but i think there is a precondition, that you need to control well your survival cancer cell or your health well after the treatments or surgery, especially for the tumor exist in internal organs. You know if you can not treat well your body, for example, stay up late, excessive drinking, eat much junk food, obesity... the cancer will be recurrent and metastatic easily, even though you have vary healthy lifestyle it is also hard to say that you don’t have cancer, it may be other rare reasons like genes or bacterial infection. So that is what we really need to think about how to define “cure” of cancer, in other words, “cure” is to let cancer patients live longer and longer untill the natural end the life.

 So, How To Live Longer And Improve The High Quality Of Life.

If you want to live longer and longer, we need to find the right hospital, doctors and treatments first, and then choose one hospital you think is good for you among most of hospitals. Here i can recommed the Fuda Cancer Hospital how to prolong the patients’ life and improve their quality of life.

In general, chemo or radiation are common used cancer treatments, but it may caused much side effect and pain, other options in Fuda including: Cryosurgey, Nanoknife, Immunotherapy, Vascular Interventional Therapy, Photodynamic Therapy (PDT),T-plus Immunotherapy for Malignancies, Anti-angiogenesis Therapy, Chinese Traditional Medicine..., the most popular and famous are “3C+P” treatment model and Nanoknife in Fuda hospital. All above of them have little side effect and pain. 3C: Cryosurgical Ablation (cryosurgery), Combined Cancer Immunotherapy, Cancer Microvascular Intervention, P: Personalized Therapy which treat according to the patients personal body condition. For example, patients who do not want or are not suitable to take operation, radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Or patients who got poor efficacy after taking traditional operation, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. The Fuda doctors and experts will improve the patients’ nutrition and immunity first, then do the surgery, which can decrease the risk of surgery and ensure the patients safety.

“3C+P” treatment model aim at treating the medium and advanced terminal cancer, as to prolong their life and improve their high quality of life, the quality of life mean that the patients live without pain with little cancer survival cell which is fall into sleep after accepting treatments, and won’t “wake up” won’t attack your tissue. But you want to be “cure” don’t let your unhealthy lifestyle to wake up the cancer cells because cancer cells are changed from normal cells under a terrible body condiction. That is why required the cancer patients to do a regular examiation to prevent the cancer recurrent and metastasis.

So, the “cure” is to keep your body in a sercurity environment and condition i think, most of Fuda cancer survivors have lived over 8-10 years, some are longer. Another important point is to know well how to prevent cancer recurrence and metastasis.

How To Choose Hospital And Experts.

The best suggestion is to know well hospital and experts you find, then to make your final decision in case of any faker happen around you.

1. To see the hospital whether accredited by JCI or have other authoritative international approval.

Fuda Cancer Hospital have been accredited by JCI (Joint Commission International), and which is one of sponsors of ISC ( International Society of Cryosurgery). The combined treatment model have beed approved by NCCN.

ISC

JCI

NCCN

2. How To Know The Doctors And Experts Skill.

First, to see the their qualification, honor and award, then review their experience on clinical surgery. For Example, Fuda president and doctor Xu Kecheng, vice president and doctor Niu Lizhi.

Fuda president and doctor Xu Kecheng:

President of 17th International Society of Cryosurgery

He was awarded the highest honor - "Bethune Medal" in 2012 for his excellent work and contributions to China's national healthcare system.

Vice President and doctor Niu Lizhi:

Award of “Brilliant contribution to World Conference on Interventional Oncology” , the 14th World Congress of Cryosurgery in Beijing, 2007.

Another is to know the professional team

3. Read The Patients Stories To Know More Detail

4. Consult The people who know Fuda Cancer Hospital around you.

5. To See The Media Report And News On TV

Doctors Are the Key Than Advanced Medical Equitments To Desperate Cancer Like Giant Tumors

Look back to every cancer patient came to Fuda from different countries and places, it is a process of complication to peace and then go to the happy ending, why i have such deep feeling, because they are here around me. Most of cancer patients had been accepted several surgeries or chemo treatments in their countries, which the doctors were unable to treat their terminal tumors any more, then they find fuda for help. As an important international advanced cancer research center and cancer hospital, Fuda cancer hospital have been investing a plenty of time, manpower, material resources to import advanced equitment , cultivate experienced experts and improve their skill, our president , a 77 years old liver cancer surivior and doctor Kecheng, Xu break the traditional though to create “3C+P” treatment model which is specialized in advanced cancer, what they are used to have been successful to treat 10,000 cancer cases.

President of Fuda Dr.Kecheng.Xu(left)and Vice President Dr.Feng.Mu(right)

But what i really admired are the experts’ rich experience, excellent skill, strong psychological enduring capacity, good team-work and brave enough to accept the challenges, I wonder if there are no such experts exist, even though you have the most advanced medical equitments, there still fail to save cancer patients, because they also must know well other disease how to be cured from cancer patients like diabetes, hypertension, imflammation, obesity, renal insufficiency and etc.

However, most of the cancer patients our doctors met all suffer from other complicated disease besides cancer or the diseases caused from cancer, that is to say, the surgery became seriously difficulty in most of time, especially for advanced cancer.

Here is a giant tumor case to show the important of experts skill and experience on tumor Resection operation.

8 year-old gril Airin From Malaysia grew a 4 kilo giant tumor on her left shank

The patient, 8 years old, is called Airin from Ipoh, Malaysia, grew a 4 kilo and 61.5 CM giant tumor on her left leg, The malaysia hospital diagnosed that it is “ Myxiod spindle cell sarcoma”, the doctors suggested to do the amputation surgery for Airin. Considered amputation will bring bad influence to their daughter life, Airin’s parents refused the suggestion, and turn to another help.

On Marh, 2016, they came to a hospital in Guangzhou China for twice treatments, but the condition grew bad faster , the tumor was bigger than before. In desperation, they have to try to find the better hospital online. Eventurally, they found our hospital in Youtube, after consulting with our vice president and doctor Mu Feng, they took her daughter to Fuda hospital on the next day.

For the long time of delay effective treatment, Airin become thin with black skin and acutely malnourished, weigh only 22 kilo. After more CT and MRI reexamination , Found that Airin heart beat 140 times/min, exist in the amount of pericardial effusion, pneumonia, fever reach to 37.5 to 38.5 degrees celsius every day, and low potassium tendency for 2.6/L, low protein(albumin only 25g ). The original plan from Fuda for Airin is to do some nutrition support first to correct the low potassium, low protein and other child’s pneumonia, and will to do the surgery on April 7.

However, in the afternoon on March 30th,2016. Airin’s condition turn worse suddenly, with a dangerous fever, the tumors increased quickly in a few days, the artery on her tumor left leg stop pulsing , her skin became pale and cold, which are named ”fascia chamber syndrome”. If there is not a quick solution, it may change kidney failure and other complication for Airin.

There is no double that it is a severe challenge, Dr.Xu organized our hospital experts and other orthopedists, cancer experts of Guangzhou to make a more detail consultation, diagnosis and discussion, finally, they decided to do the surgery for Airin on April 1st, 2016.

In the morning of April 1st , Malaysian consulate officials in Guangzhou got this news, then they came to fuda to see Airin and comfort Airin’s parents, talked with fuda doctors to know detail situation.

11 am on April 1st, Airin was taken to the operating room, several cancer experts and doctors did emergency surgery for Airin, in the process, found that her huge tumor had have embraced calf bood vessels and nerves, her muscle tissue of calf has been invaded by tumors cells. In order to save the child’s left leg and function, the experts spent two and a half hours in separating carefully the tumor with blood vessels and nerves. After six hours of hard work, managed to remove the giant tumor which weighted 3.9kg. Postoperatively, the foot dorsal edema has been clear obviously, toes blood supply back to normal.

Whatever Airin’s parents or doctors or other people, it is a vary suffering process that full of worry, anxiety ,nervous and complicated emotion, they all pray for Airin, Dr.Xu said: “ letting go or never giving up”, As long as there is a glimmer of hope, there is no reason to give up.

Before that, our doctors have done such surgeries of huge tumor on face, stomach, uterus, head and other, some more emergency than Airin’s leg Fibrosarcoma.

In a word, the doctor’s skill and experience are the key of surgery. What do you think?