'Every time I come home from the hospital, I forget I'm a cancer patient'

Ms. Kim Xuyen (52 years old, Ho Chi Minh City) was diagnosed with stage 2B lung cancer. Instead of going to Singapore for treatment as planned by her family, she decided to receive treatment at FV Hospital after consulting with Dr. Basma M'Barek - Head of Hy Vong Cancer Treatment Center.

Unexpected discovery of cancer from a "silent" lung nodule during general health check-up

Being a person who cares a lot about health, since 2019, when discovering a benign lung nodule of 10-13mm, Ms. LT Kim Xuyen has been re-examined and had a CT scan of her lungs as prescribed every three months at a specialized hospital in Ho Chi Minh City. The results of the subsequent scans showed that the size of the nodule had not changed.

During a general health check-up at FV Hospital after the Covid-19 social distancing period, she was shocked to hear that her lung CT scan showed abnormalities.

Her X-rays were sent to Dr. Basma M'Barek - Head of the Hy Vong Cancer Treatment Center. Dr. Basma looked at the X-rays from two years ago for comparison and noticed something unusual: although the size of the nodule had not changed much, its nature had gradually transformed into solid tissue - a potential sign of cancer.

Dr. Basma immediately ordered a PET-CT scan. The results showed that the lesion had increased in diameter to 17mm.

Dr. Basma M'Barek consults with a patient

Photo: FV

Her family planned to take her to Singapore for treatment. However, after talking with Dr. Basma, Ms. Xuyen had a special trust in this French female head of department with a professional yet friendly style.

"What Dr. Basma explained was very convincing, giving me great confidence at that moment. I learned that Dr. Basma had many years of experience working in France, and she chose to come to Vietnam because she wanted to bring her knowledge and high treatment expertise to patients here. I thought, if so, why do I need to go anywhere else?", Ms. Xuyen shared.

Hy Vong Cancer Treatment Center has invested in modern equipment and advanced techniques, approaching the progress of leading medical fields in Europe or America and has the latest cancer drugs. This makes her more confident in her choice.

Defeating lung cancer thanks to 3 years of persistent companionship

Because the lung nodule is located near a blood vessel, it cannot be accessed by endoscopy or transthoracic needle for biopsy. Doctors at Hy Vong Cancer Treatment Center urgently held an interdisciplinary consultation with the Department of Diagnostic Imaging and the Department of Vascular and Thoracic Surgery to plan a suitable treatment for Ms. Xuyen.

Based on PET-CT images and clinical experience, doctors suggested a cold biopsy of the lung nodule through endoscopic surgery to decide on the next surgical steps. However, removing the lung nodule in the middle of the lobe, close to the hilum, required removing the entire lung lobe. After careful consultation with doctors, Ms. Xuyen agreed to undergo lobectomy to remove the tumor.

MSc. Dr. Luong Ngoc Trung (middle) performs lung lobe resection surgery for a patient using the Uniport VATS method.

Photo: FV

The surgery was performed by Master, Doctor, Specialist II Luong Ngoc Trung, Head of the Department of Vascular and Thoracic Surgery. Doctor Trung performed a right lung lobe resection and lymph node dissection for the patient. The quick pathology results confirmed that she had stage 2B non-small cell adenocarcinoma, with metastasis to lymph nodes number 10. A subsequent surgical node biopsy also showed that she belonged to the group of patients positive for EGFR mutations - a cancer classification that is more effectively treated with targeted therapy.

Ms. Xuyen underwent 4 cycles of chemotherapy (each cycle lasting 3 weeks), and used the targeted drug Tagrisso (Osimertinib) for three consecutive years. Thanks to the support program for lung cancer treatment costs with Tagrisso (Osimertinib) of FV Hospital, Ms. Xuyen received 18 free cycles of medication, saving more than 1.6 billion VND, equivalent to more than 50% of the cost of treatment with targeted drugs.

Currently, Ms. Xuyen's health is stable, with no signs of cancer returning. After nearly 4 years of fighting cancer, Ms. Xuyen is happy and optimistic as she places her trust in the doctors and nurses at the Hope Center.

"When I was treated at FV, I didn't feel like I was in the hospital. The doctor always listened to my thoughts and explained my symptoms in detail, which made me feel more secure and happier. Every time I returned from the hospital, I forgot I was a patient!", Ms. Xuyen confided.

Sharing about Ms. Kim Xuyen's case, Dr. Basma M'Barek emphasized: the decisive thing is to choose the right place for health check-up. Because if the medical facility is not capable of identifying special injuries, the patient may mistakenly think that he or she is being closely monitored, while the danger is still developing silently.

In particular, the French female doctor added that modern cancer treatment regimens can be applied in many places, but to achieve a long-term treatment, what patients need is not only good medicine but also close care. "Three years is a long time when patients have to live with many side effects. Without a medical team to monitor and support them continuously, it is difficult for patients to have enough strength to complete the treatment journey," said Dr. Basma.

FV Hospital is fully equipped with modern facilities and applies advanced techniques in cancer treatment.

Photo: FV

Ms. Kim Xuyen is one of many successful cases treated at Hy Vong Cancer Treatment Center with a personalized treatment regimen. Head of Department Basma M'Barek builds an optimal treatment regimen for each patient, combining many different cancer treatment "weapons", from surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy to targeted therapy, immunotherapy to destroy cancer cells while still ensuring the quality of life for patients during and after treatment.

In particular, FV has just pioneered the investment in CyberKnife S7 - a rare robotic radiosurgery system in the world that can treat tumors anywhere on the body without surgery, opening a revolution in cancer treatment using non-invasive methods.

To learn more about the cancer treatment process at FV Hospital, readers can contact (028) 35 11 33 33.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/moi-lan-tu-benh-vien-ve-toi-quen-minh-la-benh-nhan-ung-thu-185250717142829077.htm