The journey of a father and son to defeat bone cancer

In early 2025, Mr. NTT (35 years old) was diagnosed with bone cancer. Two weeks after the surgery, with the stitches still unscratched, he and his wife received the bad news that their son, NTM, also had the same disease as his father. The journey to defeat this terrible disease was full of challenges.

Master, Specialist II Doctor Nguyen Tran Quang Sang examines the health of a child patient before surgery.

The 10-year-old son followed his father's lead in suffering from bone cancer, with the risk of having to amputate his leg, leaving his small family in Vinh Long devastated. TM was discovered shortly after his father's illness, when the bone cancer was already at stage 2B. Before that, the patient had symptoms such as pain and swelling in the left knee joint, and an inability to bend the knee when sitting. This is a rare malignant disease in children, progressing rapidly and with a very high risk of amputation.

The young mother collapsed, struggling to cope with the sudden illness that had befallen her family. She got up and took her child to Ho Chi Minh City to find a treatment plan.

After 4 cycles of chemotherapy, the tumor was somewhat controlled, but M. was still completely dependent on a wheelchair. His family even had to face the harsh reality: the possibility of saving his legs was almost zero. The last chance for him, only when he had surgery to remove the cancer cells, would be replaced with an artificial joint. And this time, M.'s journey was to Hanoi , to find a leading expert in musculoskeletal system at Vinmec Times City.

After examination and consultation at the Multidisciplinary Bone Tumor Council (MTB Sarcoma), headed by Professor, Dr. Tran Trung Dung, General Director of Vinmec Healthcare System, the doctors decided on a treatment plan for the child by widely cutting out the bone cancer and creating a defect with a personalized 3D designed artificial growth joint.

Specialist II Doctor Nguyen Van Vi, Head of Department of Rehabilitation and Sports Medicine Vinmec.

This is the most advanced technique available today, only available at Vinmec Sarcoma Center. The special feature is that the artificial joint is designed specifically for each patient, accurately simulating the real bone structure thanks to 3D printing technology, helping to restore maximum motor function after surgery.

"The patient is young, and his bones are still growing. If he uses a conventional artificial joint, after a few years, the length of his legs will be different, leading to a crooked pelvis and spine, affecting his gait and physical strength. The special joint that Vinmec uses has the ability to "grow with the body", meaning it can stretch according to the natural growth of the healthy bone," Dr. Dung shared.

Master, Specialist II Doctor Nguyen Tran Quang Sang, Head of the Department of Bone and Soft Tissue Tumor Surgery, Vinmec Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Center, said that the most important thing in this surgery is to completely remove the tumor while preserving the limb and motor function of the child. To do this, doctors must coordinate with many specialties including orthopedic trauma, oncology, diagnostic imaging, and rehabilitation.

A successful surgery is an important factor that helps doctors succeed in the rehabilitation process, physical therapy, and support for TM to recover quickly.

Specialist II Doctor Nguyen Van Vi, Head of the Department of Rehabilitation and Sports Medicine of Vinmec shared that about 14-15 hours after the surgery, the doctors began to plan early rehabilitation for the child. For bone cancer patients, the treatment regimen cannot be applied mechanically, but must be individualized depending on the level of bone damage, invasive software, adaptability of the artificial joint, and muscle endurance.

Every day, M. is trained by technicians using modern medical equipment such as passive lower limb exercisers. The equipment helps to gently move the joints without using force, preventing stiffness, reducing pain, limiting swelling and maintaining joint flexibility right from the early stages after surgery. In addition, M. is also guided in his exercises by a team of dedicated and patient technicians.

The warm handshake of M's family after major surgery.

Three days after the major surgery, the boy was able to stand up and walk with the help of a walking frame. By the seventh day, his walking distance had increased and the pain had gradually decreased.

Seven days after major surgery for a malignant bone cancer, TM was able to walk down the hallway of the hospital's inpatient ward thanks to a support frame.

TM’s journey to defeat bone cancer not only lights up the light of love and determination, but also proves the power of modern medicine. Now, M’s whole family is excited to return to Vinh Long. In the very near future, little M will be running to school like many of his peers.

TRAN LAM

Source: https://nhandan.vn/hanh-trinh-chien-thang-can-benh-ung-thu-xuong-cua-hai-cha-con-post919155.html