Experience of surviving doctors with terminal lung cancer

Five years after the discovery of metastatic lung cancer, Dr. Do Quoc Hung from the National Heart Institute (Hanoi) is still alive, working, growing flowers, watching comedies, meditating, cooking his own meals. noon .

Also suffering from painful suffering, also undergoing the same treatment as most patients with lung cancer in Vietnam when he was in the late stage, but Associate Professor Do Quoc Hung, former Head of C7, Institute National Cardiology has done what few people can do, it is to survive after nearly five years of illness.

Lung cancer is a malignant disease, although there have been many advances in diagnosis and treatment, but the ability to live is very low. The disease develops silently, with little or no symptoms. If patients detect disease in stage 1, the survival rate is up to 70%. Surgery at an early stage, the survival rate after 5 years in patients with lung cancer can reach 40-50%. Patients with late-stage lung cancer (no longer capable of surgery), the mortality rate within 6 months to a year is 90%.

Associate Professor Do Quoc Hung, former Head of Department C7, National Institute of Cardiology (Hanoi).(Photo: Nam Phuong).

At the age of 62, now looking at Dr. Hung is still working hard, going to charity ., few people know that he has lung cancer. No matter how many times of chemotherapy, 36 doses of radiation therapy, 5 years of cancer recurrence, there were times when the tumor metastasized into the pelvis, causing him to be unable to walk. The most recurring relapse was last year when the tumor metastasized to the brain.

When the left eye gradually faded, with the retinal detachment, Dr. Hung went to take PET / CT, resonance from . then discovered the tumor in the brain behind the eyeball size of 3x4cm. The treatment of tumors in the brain is much more complicated, a prerequisite is to remove it, then continue chemotherapy but cannot operate. Doctors who performed rotary gamma knife surgery actually used radiation to treat tumors.

"A lot of people ask me to experience cancer winning, I think the psychological factor is very important . I consider things as usual, I have cancer but not unlike any other common disease. My psychology very comfortable, sometimes relatives are more worried, " said Dr Hung.

From his own experience, he said, psychological factors determine at least 50% in the treatment of cancer. In the past, hearing cancer was about dying, but with the development of modern medicine, many cases can be saved.

He himself determined that cancer is like chronic disease , treating it well but not all, there will be relapses. Cancer patients need to understand that this is a long war. Determining so, he never allowed himself to be depressed, not thinking about illness, but having to live happily, optimistic about life, watching comedies. Difficulty sleeping, he chant, take medicine for easy sleep. Free time to arrange the time, he went with his colleagues to go to a charity clinic.

"On the terrace at home, I grow vegetables, plant flowers, which season is it, simply a styrofoam box containing spinach, amaranth, spinach, lettuce sometimes with coriander, train smell, basil . When I have time to meditate, practice breathing to calm my mind , "said Dr Hung.

Besides, his diet also changed a lot , split meals, eat 5 meals a day, eat less carbohydrates, snacks also only eat vegetables. He ate a lot of vegetables and fruits, especially vegetables such as broccoli, asparagus, spinach . Fruit, he ate a lot of soursop, butter, orange, lemon . With meat, uncle He only uses poultry meat, white meat, not eating red meat. The meal at the hospital, he did not eat outside but brought his own rice at home, the office had a microwave oven.

On the rooftop, Dr. Hung planted his own vegetables in a foam container.(Photo: Doctor provided).

In treatment, he complied perfectly with the regimens given by the doctors. He also searched on his own, periodically going to Singapore to buy medicine for treatment, which was not imported for domestic consumption. Besides, he also drank ginseng, functional food extracted from papaya leaves .

Exercise is also important, helping the body to be supple and maintain good health. He just retired from gym because he didn't have time. Currently, he exercises weight on a daily basis.

Dr Hung advised, patients with cancer like him should be treated in the country without conditions."I know some people who come to Singapore to treat, spend 8 billion but still do not lose. In contrast, in the country, patients still enjoy high-tech services such as PET / CT, dose-modulated radiotherapy, target drugs ., again covered by insurance ". According to him, treatment in the country is always better than abroad, there is encouragement of colleagues and family members while psychology is very important in treatment.

In the treatment of serious diseases, including cancer, Vietnam has applied advanced modern treatment techniques like the world. Associate Professor Mai Trong Khoa, Director of the Center for Nuclear Medicine and Oncology, Deputy Director of Bach Mai Hospital (Hanoi) considered Hung's cancer-winning story as a miracle, an ancient story. between life. The most impressive thing in this particular patient is the absolute adherence to the treatment regimen.With cancer, patients who survived five years of detection were considered to be cured.

Lung and liver cancer are two of the 10 most common cancers in Southeast Asia as well as in Vietnam. In our country, lung cancer situation is quite severe, the number of patients is increasing. In Hanoi, an estimated 40 people are diagnosed with lung cancer in every 100,000 people, while in HCMC this figure is 30.

For prevention, do not smoke, have a healthy diet, work, work well, need regular health checks, especially when symptoms of prolonged cough, chest pain . Difficulty Early detection screening. High-risk people (tobacco addiction, pipe tobacco) should be tested for malignant cells in sputum, blood test for some tumor markers (CEA, cifra 21-1, SCC .) and annual chest X-rays.