Seven Cancer-Free Years After Nasopharyngeal Cancer Recurrence
My name is Sung Djan Tju, and I come from Indonesia. In 2009, at the age of 60, I noticed a lump about the size of an egg forming in my throat. Doctors back home examined me and confirmed it was nasopharyngeal cancer. I underwent surgery right away, hoping that would be the end of it.
It wasn’t. Just two months after the operation, the tumor came back, and my local doctors told me I needed another surgery. I was frightened at the thought of going through it all again. That was when my sister-in-law stepped in and told me plainly, “No more surgery. Come to Guangzhou with me — many of my friends who had cancer went there. I know a doctor named Lin Jing at Modern Cancer Hospital Guangzhou.” I trusted her, and in July 2009, I made the trip.
Facing an Advanced Diagnosis
When the doctors in Guangzhou completed my examinations, the news was harder than I expected: the cancer had already progressed, with signs of recurrence and spread. For a while, I sank into fear and despair, unsure if I would ever see my family grow old with me.
What pulled me back was my daughter’s constant encouragement, along with the patience and reassurance of the hospital’s medical staff. I am Catholic, and I began praying every day, asking for strength rather than a guarantee. Slowly, I told myself, “I will put my trust in God, and let the outcome unfold as it will.” That shift in mindset gave me back my resolve, and I committed fully to whatever treatment plan the multidisciplinary team recommended.
The Treatment That Turned Things Around
My medical team designed a combined approach built around minimally invasive methods. I went through two rounds of interventional therapy, paired with chemotherapy and radiotherapy given at the same time. Bit by bit, my condition started improving, and eventually, the tumor disappeared entirely.
- Two consecutive courses of interventional therapy
- Concurrent chemotherapy and radiotherapy
- Later, periodic ozone therapy to help maintain my recovery
Becoming an Anti-Cancer Warrior
In May 2014, I returned to the hospital for a routine review and happened to be there during one of their anti-cancer warrior gatherings. These events are meant to help patients who feel they’ve lost hope find their footing again and approach treatment with a stronger, more positive outlook.
Given how far I had come, I joined in as one of the warriors myself. I spent time talking with other patients, sharing what had worked for me, and listening to their own struggles. I told them plainly: cancer no longer has to be a death sentence. With patience and belief in the process, it’s a battle that can be won.
What My Doctor Says About My Case
My attending physician, Dr. Lin Jing, has said that cases like mine still feel remarkable to her, even though she has seen similar outcomes at Modern Cancer Hospital Guangzhou before. She often reminds people that a cancer diagnosis isn’t automatically a death sentence anymore — with today’s medical standards, it can be managed much like a long-term condition.
According to her, two things made the difference in my recovery: getting timely, properly matched treatment, and having steady emotional support from both my family and the hospital staff, which helped me stay calm and hopeful throughout.
Life Today
Surviving all this has given me a much deeper appreciation for the time I have. These days, I spend a lot of it traveling with my family — I’ve already visited Malaysia, Bali, Kalimantan, and several other places, and I have no plans to stop exploring. Traveling keeps me feeling optimistic and genuinely happy, like I can live a normal life again, and that feeling means everything to me.
