A Lung cancer diagnosis is not a death sentence

Ms. L.T. Binh (70 years old, HCMC) viewed her two-year journey from suspicion, screening, detection and diagnosis of lung cancer through to successful treatment as an arduous journey which required not only good medical care and perseverance, but also strong faith. 

The journey to find hope

As of 2021, it has been more than nine years since Ms L.T. Binh was successfully treated for non-small cell lung cancer. She said that her health is currently very good, and she can do many jobs simultaneously. “Soon, I will return to my hometown in the central region to arrange some work, before returning to Dong Nai Province to continue my volunteer teaching projects in the upcoming months,” Ms Binh said, happily, as she shared her tight schedule.

Back in late 2011, due to a family history of lung cancer, Ms Binh proactively went to a hospital for screening. After imaging, doctors suspected she had lung cancer.

Ms Binh shared: “At first, I was shocked, but I slowly calmed down because I realised that everyone will be unwell at some point.” Regaining her calmness, she visited another larger hospital for examination as she planned to receive treatment there. However, when she saw how overloaded that hospital was, she felt insecure and returned home, intending to give up with no more treatment.

Thanks to the encouragement and wholehearted support from her family, Ms Binh decided to go to FV Hospital for another consult, and subsequently to receive treatment here. Explaining her decision to choose FV, Ms Binh said she had a good impression of the hospital and had felt comfortable and relieved when she had visited some relatives being cared for here before.

After looking through the records that Ms Binh provided, doctors at Hy Vong Cancer Care Centre required a low-dose CT scan to confirm the results. Doctors found that she had a peripheral lung tumour, so they suggested a biopsy. At that time, in most hospitals in the country, biopsy was done either by airway endoscopy for a central tumour, or by thoracic surgery for a peripheral lung tumour.

FV Hospital applied the trans-thoracic needle biopsy technique (using a fine needle to pierce the chest to the tumour site to take tissue samples). This is a minimally invasive method, compared to the popular surgical sampling method in Vietnam.

After diagnosing Ms Binh with early-stage lung cancer, her doctors held a multi-disciplinary meeting between Hy Vong Cancer Care Centre and FV’s General Surgery Department and decided to apply surgery to remove the lung tumour in this case.

Faith–the main weapon to fight disease

Ms L.T. Binh shared: “After surgery, I was in severe pain. However, following detailed explanation from the doctors and with great care from my nurses, I felt better in the days that followed.”  Following the surgery’s biopsy result, doctors determined that the cancer cells had been removed, but regular check-ups were required on a monthly basis for the first six months following surgery, and then yearly to control any potential risk relating to the disease.

After nine years Ms Binh, remembers that her sentiment when she came to FV for cancer treatment mirrored the name of FV’s specialist cancer care centre: Hy Vong, which means Hope. Ms Binh said: “Instead of just seeing the word cancer, I saw the name ‘Hy Vong’. The modern decoration of the clinic and positive attitude of its staff makes sick people like me feel better.”

When people face illness, we need to have the right spirit to be able to overcome it. A strong mind can be cultivated from many things, such as encouragement, focusing on the work we need to do, or simply thinking about a quiet space, or the enthusiasm of people providing treatment.

Patients with cancer often carry feelings of bewilderment and anxiety throughout their treatment. To think positively, Ms Binh says, needs strong faith: “My faith comes from religion, from the care of my family, and my faith in relatives and my close friends.”

Ms Binh always believed that during the process of cancer treatment, her doctors were her close companions. They are gifted with outstanding talent and compassion, and Ms Binh put her trust in these friends to both encourage them as they cared for her, and to strengthen her own mindset. She believes that inner strength helped her to overcome the difficulties and the arduous period of treatment, allowing her to remain optimistic and happy.

Philosopher Plato once said, “We are twice-armed if we fight with faith”. With all her faith, her own efforts, and her doctors’ help, especially those at Hy Vong Cancer Care Centre, Ms L. T. Binh gathered enough strength and friends to beat her lung cancer and enjoy a full life for nearly 10 years.