The heartbreaking story of two sisters' journey to treat breast cancer

Regular screening helped Ms. H. detect the disease at stage 0, when treatment was 'as easy as pie'. Two years later, Ms. H.'s younger sister was diagnosed with stage 3 metastasis because she missed screening. This tragedy left the patient's family feeling remorseful: 'If only we had been proactive in screening earlier'.

She overcame breast cancer thanks to early detection, I had to fight hard.

In 2022, during a routine health check-up with the company, Ms. NTH (40 years old, Ho Chi Minh City) was surprised when the breast ultrasound results detected a very small tumor - only 8mm - in her left breast.

Doctor Phung Ngoc Thu consults about breast cancer for patients

PHOTO: FV

After an in-depth examination with Dr. Phung Ngoc Thu - Head of Breast Care Center, FV Hospital, Ms. H. was diagnosed with stage 0 breast cancer - the earliest stage of this disease.

Ms. H.'s lumpectomy went smoothly, and just two days later she was discharged from the hospital to return to her active life, without chemotherapy, only adjuvant radiotherapy. She told Dr. Thu: "I didn't expect cancer treatment to be so... easy."

Doctor Thu advised the patient: in addition to treating and monitoring her own health, she should encourage her relatives to get genetic testing or screening counseling, because cancer in young people can be related to genetics.

H.’s joy of defeating cancer did not last long. Two years later, her younger sister was diagnosed with metastatic stage 3 breast cancer, requiring a total mastectomy, and prolonged radiation and chemotherapy.

"I regret not listening to the doctor. Because I was so focused on myself at the time, I didn't remember to advise my sister to go see a doctor soon," Ms. H. choked up as she confided to Dr. Thu over the phone.

The story of Ms. H. and her sister made Dr. Thu feel uneasy: "If the younger sister had been screened at the same time as her older sister discovered breast cancer, the disease could have been detected at an early stage and treatment would have been much easier!"

Breast cancer is getting younger: Start breast examination at age 25

In Vietnam, breast cancer is considered the leading cancer in women, accounting for 25.8% of cases. According to Dr. Phung Ngoc Thu, breast cancer is no longer a disease of middle-aged women.

"Previously, the peak age of infection was around 60, now many patients are only in their 30s," she said.

That's why a female expert with more than 20 years of experience in the field of breast care advises women to start breast examination from the age of 25 - not only for examination, but also for breast health education .

Breast cancer can be treated very gently if detected early, as in the case of patient H. mentioned above. In stage 0 - I, the patient only needs to remove a small tumor, still maintaining the natural shape of the breast, and can add aesthetics to balance it.

Differences in breast cancer treatment across stages

Meanwhile, if detected at stage 3-4, the patient must undergo systemic chemotherapy - a systemic treatment method that causes severe side effects such as hair loss, physical exhaustion, etc. and costs many times more.

In particular, stage 0: survival rate 99%; stage I: more than 90%; stage III - IV: can be less than 50%.

Regular breast screening - a gift women give themselves

Doctor Thu worries: "In treating breast cancer patients, what worries me is not only their health, but also the mental trauma when a woman loses her breasts - a symbol of beauty and femininity."

Therefore, no matter how busy, women should take time to care for and love themselves. Regular breast examination is a gift that women give themselves.

"Going for breast examination and breast cancer screening is not out of fear or anxiety, but a proactive and strong attitude," Dr. Thu shared.

FV is one of the few hospitals with a Breast Care Center. The center is a pioneer in providing comprehensive breast care services, from screening, accurate diagnosis to advanced multimodal treatment. With a team of doctors with more than 20 years of experience in the field of breast care and treatment, modern medical equipment, FV provides patients with accurate diagnostic solutions, helping to detect early signs of abnormalities.

Patients have regular breast health screening at FV

PHOTO: FV

FV Breast Care Center is fully equipped with modern machines for screening examination:

• The most advanced generation of ultrasound: detects lesions as small as 3mm.
• The latest generation of 3D breast X-ray (mammography): helps increase breast cancer detection rate by 40%.
• Breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI): has the highest sensitivity among current screening methods, detecting cosmetic problems such as ruptured breast implants and abnormalities of breast fillers.
• Multi-method biopsy: if abnormalities are detected, the patient will be advised on appropriate biopsy options such as: small needle, large needle, vacuum aspiration or wire needle placement... to accurately determine the nature of the lesion.

FV Breast Care Center has the most advanced technical facilities for screening breast diseases.

PHOTO: FV

"Through screening, FV Breast Care Center has detected many cases of cancer at an extremely early stage of only 3mm. With modern medicine, we can completely turn this incurable disease into a controllable one to ensure health and uninterrupted life, career and passion," Dr. Thu concluded.

Readers can make an appointment with Dr. Phung Ngoc Thu at FV Hospital No. 06 Nguyen Luong Bang, Tan My Ward (old District 7), Ho Chi Minh City or contact the phone number (028) 35 11 33 33. FV is applying a policy of combining payments for state health insurance, private insurance, FV Priority Membership and 0% installments to significantly reduce costs for cancer patients in particular and patients examined and treated at FV in general.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/cau-chuyen-day-dut-ve-hanh-trinh-dieu-tri-ung-thu-vu-cua-hai-chi-em-ruot-185251021155401412.htm