“Thank God, You’re Here”

----Documentary of Dr. Ke’s Clinical Reception

Author: Dr. Ke Liqun from Modern Cancer Hospital Guangzhou

The person who sat opposite to me was an elderly mother of a cancer patient. From her look of great concern and anxiety, I knew she was a good mother. As we met, she frankly told me, “This is my sixth time to consult Chinese expert.” I handed a cup of tea to her and replied to her with smile, “After you consult with me, I am sure that you will not find the seventh Chinese specialist anymore.”

According to this mother, I knew that her daughter, a breast cancer patient, was 36 years old. Two years ago, she took surgery first, and then six sessions of chemotherapy, later oral tamoxifen (an anticancer hormone drug). After one year, she discovered cancer came back with metastasis to liver and lung during her regular check-up. Subsequently, she took treatment in Singapore where the doctor made her a plan of 8 sessions of chemotherapy. So far, she had finished 7 sessions. Although the lesions in her lung shrank, the tumor in her liver did not.  

I verified her statement after I compared two CT photos before and after treatment. I asked, “What may you want me to help?” She answered, “Singapore doctors said they only have chemotherapy, while a Chinese professor recommends me 125I seed implantation, and some advise me interventional therapy and cryotherapy. I want to ask for your suggestion.”

“It’s sad that cancer metastasized to liver and lung so quickly after breast cancer surgery”, rather than answered her questions directly, I said, “If the patient took several sessions of preoperative chemotherapy, then surgery, and lastly chemotherapy and radiotherapy, she would not be in this current condition.” The old woman blurted out, “Yes, Singapore doctor also holds the same opinion.”   

Then, I explained the applicable time, efficacy, limitation and side effects to use surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy for advanced breast cancer, as well as their mechanism of immunity damage and promotion of cancer recurrence and metastasis in detail. Furthermore, I pointed out that her daughter was a victim of conventional cancer treatment, taking treatment meanwhile getting cancer metastasis. “I also know that chemotherapy cannot work anymore”, she sighed, “On the one hand, we haven’t found out a reliable treatment to replace chemotherapy yet. On the other hand, my daughter firmly trusts Singapore medical technology. ” When she asked whether there were any reliable alternative treatments in China, I made a detailed introduction of principles, advantages, applications and operating processes of cryotherapy, interventional therapy and particle nanoknife to her, which substituted for surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy respectively. Besides, I suggested her daughter come for consultation personally. However, the old women said, “Since she was diagnosed with cancer, she hasn’t wanted to see anyone, even her friends. I have persuaded her to see Chinese doctors for many times, but was rejected. ”

Two days later, this old woman visited our office again, leading her husband and her son in this time. Her husband said he and his son were doctors, and his wife was a retired pharmacist. They aimed to explore hormone therapy with me.    

He asked, “My daughter’s breast cancer is ER-positive (estrogen receptor-positive). Why can’t tamoxifen prevent her cancer metastasis?”

“Your question is very professional”, I said, “Indeed, estrogen is highly correlated with breast cancer development. Since the early 1990s, people take estrogen as the high-risk factor of breast cancer. But it is not the only factor that causes cancer. Because tamoxifen plays a role in resisting estrogen, applying tamoxifen as adjuvant therapy to ER-positive breast cancer patients can lower metastasis rate by 65%. In other words, about one third of ER-positive breast cancer patients cannot benefit from tamoxifen. ”

“Now that tamoxifen doesn’t take effect on antiestrogen, is there any help to eliminate the source of estrogen by removing my daughter’s ovary and womb?” The patient’s father questioned me closely.

I said, “Your thought is very fashionable, which has theory basis and supporting cases.” And then I took a foreign star who removed her ovary and womb to prevent breast cancer as an example. I continued to say, “However, as I say, estrogen is not the only factor to cause breast cancer. There are other factors causing breast cancer. Under the situation that tamoxifen doesn’t work, it may be backfired that to lie hopes on removing ovary and womb to control advanced breast cancer. Moreover, your daughter’s breast cancer has spread extensively. Is there any gynecologist who takes adventure to cut out a normal ovary and a normal womb for unreliable effect? Even given a lot of guts, he or she dare not!” At last, I showed my greetings and wishes to the patients, conveyed by them. I encouraged the patient to have confidence and patience to fight against cancer, and to have positive and optimistic attitude as the return for family love. Besides, I gave her some guidance in daily life.  

A week later, the patient’s mother excitedly called and told me her daughter wanted to see me.

The patient was a cool and young lady, unlike an advanced cancer patient. I stood up, hold her hands and said, “Thank God, you’re here.” On seeing her surprised look, I promptly explained, “There is a humorous Chinese host from CCTV (China Central Television), similar to the figure of English Mr. Bean. He hosts a program called ‘Thank God, you’re here’ which is popular in China. ” As she smiled, I said, “To welcome you, I specially prepare an egg for you. But it is not for you to eat, but a prop to answer your questions.”

She asked me the first question, “At the very start, my doctor told me that my disease is not so serious, which can be treated well. Why does the cancer metastasize so quickly? ”

I replied, “It is related to the substandard of the first treatment. But it is not the main reason. And here is the origin to cause breast cancer development and worsening. On the one side, cancer stem cells are crazy to copy and produce cancer cells without limitations; on the other side, the body immunity cannot recognize and kill so much cancer cells. Those two reasons combine together to become a tumor which grows and spreads constantly. Let’s look at this egg, the most primordial stem cell of chicken. Compared with a normal cell of chicken, except for its bigger size, the egg has a layer of thick shell. Human cancer stem cell has the similar structure of egg shell, so it is not afraid of chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Before taking tumor removal surgery, if cancer stem cells move to other organs or tissues and grow there, it is difficult to prevent cancer recurrence and metastasis no matter how much chemotherapy and radiotherapy we do later. It is well known that the treatment effect of surgery for the early cancer is remarkable. And people hold that it is unnecessary to take chemotherapy and radiotherapy for most of early cancer patients after operation. Why? Because the cancer stem cell at the early stage of cancer is still in the central of the tumor to grow stronger without moving outside. At this time, via surgery, cancer stem cell can be eliminated with the whole tumor. As for your present condition, the ideal treatment plan cannot be lack of intervention for cancer stem cell. Apart from surgery, there are minimally invasive treatments to intervene cancer stem cells and cancer cells in your body, including cryotherapy, microwave ablation, radio frequency, energetic particle etc. They can kill cancer towards its source. Moreover, if they are combined with immunotherapy, it will make your condition even better.”

She asked an aggressive question, “What you say above is very nice. But I have a friend who is a breast cancer patient too. At first she went to Guangzhou to get treatment, but her condition was worse and worse. Until she was transferred to Singapore hospital, her condition got control. Could you please tell me why?”

I answered, “First of all, Guangzhou is one of three biggest cities in China. There are many cancer hospitals with various cancer treatments in Guangzhou. So, could you please tell me which hospital your friend was admitted to? What treatments did she take? Secondly, minimally invasive therapy, as I say, is a new and high-end cancer treatment project. It highly demands for good equipments, and especially suitable treatment programme and high level of doctor’s medical techniques. That is to say, treatment effect of minimally invasive therapy is bound up with merit of doctor’s techniques and advancement of medical equipments. Different doctor operates different equipment, and the efficacy is different. Besides, the treatment effect also depends on the individual condition. Thirdly, your mom told me that you haven’t smiled since you got sick. But today, when I said the first sentence to you, I saw you smiling. So, I believe if you can receive better treatment, smile will be always on your face, increasing more joys to your families and friends.”

Two weeks later, Indonesian patient Chandra, accompanied by her family, flied to Guangzhou to begin her special treatment trip in Modern Cancer Hospital Guangzhou.