Hanoi After returning home to take herbal medicine after a chemotherapy session, Ms. Ngan, 40 years old, had to return to the emergency room because the tumor had ruptured and cancer cells had spread throughout her body.
A year ago, the woman received the results of stage two breast cancer, a tumor in her right breast about two centimeters, and was advised to undergo chemotherapy to destroy the tumor.
After the first infusion, the patient lost her hair, had a poor appetite, and the "bone-piercing pain" made her miserable and tired. Thinking that her body was exhausted and that the chemotherapy would make her illness worse, she asked to go home and treat herself with traditional medicine. A few months later, the tumor swelled up and became tense, making it impossible for the woman to lie on her side. Two days after being admitted to the hospital, the tumor ruptured, oozing yellow fluid, emitting a foul odor due to necrosis, and blood spurted out uncontrollably.
Dr. Ngo Van Ty, Oncology Department, Hanoi Medical University Hospital, said that this is a very rare case of a patient with a large tumor, severe ulceration and necrosis. Normally, tumors of breast cancer patients are only about 1 to 4 cm in size and must be removed. However, in this case, the tumor size was 20 cm, 10 times larger than a year ago.
"At this time, the patient cannot undergo chemotherapy, but can only temporarily treat the tumor, and at the same time, biopsy to assess the stage of the disease, then give a new treatment regimen," the doctor said. However, because the tumor is large, invades many organs, and has a large cut area, 20 cm long, it cannot be closed with sutures. The doctor had to surgically take thigh skin and graft it onto the damaged chest skin.
Another case, a 50-year-old man with a stomach tumor, unable to eat or drink, refused to undergo chemotherapy because he thought "chemotherapy feeds cancer cells". The patient decided not to undergo chemotherapy and surgery, and asked to go home and buy his own medicine to increase his immunity.
These are two of many cases of people "running away" from cancer because they are afraid of chemicals, then betting on traditional medicine hoping to get rid of the disease easily. Many patients who respond well to the medicine or whose health has improved are still skeptical about modern treatment methods. By the time they return to the hospital, there is no chance of cure, only palliative care.
Explaining this situation, Dr. Ty said that most of them are haunted by the side effects of chemotherapy. Before that, patients experienced shock when they learned they had the disease, followed by fear of chemotherapy treatment along with side effects such as hair loss, weight loss, and bruising. "Many people are discriminated against and scorned due to changes after chemotherapy, leading to inferiority complex and depression; or fear of facing machines, radiation, distrust of the regimen and giving up treatment," the doctor said.
Currently, cancer treatment regimens include immunotherapy, targeted drugs, chemotherapy, and palliative care. Of these, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and surgery are the three pillars of cancer treatment. Depending on the condition, stage of the disease, and the nature of the tumor, the doctor will have appropriate instructions for each person, combining many measures for the best results.
Doctor Ty examines and gives health advice to patients. Photo: Thuy An
The second reason is that patients lack knowledge and always think that cancer is a death sentence, "the more they try to intervene in the tumor, the more serious the disease becomes". At this time, they cling to traditional medicine, traditional medicine and advertisements from "quacks" to cure the disease. Vietnam is one of the countries with the highest cancer rates in the world, with more than 300,000 people infected, nearly 165,000 new cases and 115,000 deaths each year. Of which, the rate of patients abandoning treatment is over 30%.
Not to mention, cancer treatment is very expensive, especially when using new drugs, such as targeted drugs and immunotherapy, while traditional medicine is cheap and convenient, only costs a few hundred thousand VND for a month of use. Most traditional cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy, are currently covered by health insurance. However, these drugs have limited effectiveness and many side effects. Immunotherapy alone is not covered, only about 10% of cases have access due to high costs.
A 2015 survey conducted by the George Institute for Global Health in eight countries with nearly 10,000 cancer patients, 20% of whom were in Vietnam, showed that 55% faced financial "disaster" and died within a year of being diagnosed. After 12 months of treatment, 66% of patients had to borrow money for treatment, 34% did not have enough money to buy medicine, and 24% were financially bankrupt.
"With the mentality that treatment is only expensive, more and more people give up halfway, causing death to come faster," the doctor said.
In addition, Associate Professor Dr. Le Van Quang, Director of K Hospital, said that this disease contains many mysteries that need to be discovered, and many new treatment methods need to be researched to cure it. "This seems to be the cause of incorrect and unscientific information about cancer, leading to many patients being taken advantage of," said Mr. Quang.
Doctors warn that patients who voluntarily leave the hospital are a big danger, increasing the risk of death. In addition, most patients who return for treatment are at a later stage, causing financial and mental fatigue. In fact, medicine has not recorded any cases of cancer being cured by traditional medicine or herbal medicine alone.
Dr. Ty expects patients to listen to their bodies and trust their healthcare providers. "Cancer is a malignant disease, but treatment methods are increasingly advanced, helping patients improve and prolong their lives, even cure the disease," the doctor said.
Thuy An
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