How Minimally Invasive Treatment Helped a New Mother Overcome Advanced Breast Cancer
Saidah, a young mother from Indonesia, had just given birth when her world was turned upside down. In August 2018, while still breastfeeding her newborn, she received a diagnosis that would test her strength as both a patient and a parent: stage IIIB breast cancer, with a tumor already measuring 12cm.
The news arrived at what should have been one of the most joyful periods of her life. Instead of savoring early motherhood, Saidah found herself confronting a life-threatening illness that risked separating her from her baby and the family she loved. She later admitted that thinking about what might happen brought her to tears more than once.
A Difficult Road Before Finding the Right Treatment
Leaning on the encouragement of her family, Saidah found the resolve to keep fighting. Her first course of action was surgery in Indonesia to remove the tumor, but the operation failed to bring the pain relief she had hoped for. Her situation then took a turn for the worse when she began experiencing nipple bleeding.
Seeking further help, she consulted a hospital in Malaysia, where doctors recommended chemotherapy. However, Saidah declined this option. Being well aware of the toll that systemic chemotherapy can take on the body, she wanted to explore alternatives that would be less damaging overall.
Discovering St. Stamford Modern Cancer Hospital Guangzhou
It was Saidah’s husband who first came across St. Stamford Modern Cancer Hospital Guangzhou through an online search. Following up on this lead, the couple visited the hospital’s Jakarta representative office, where they learned about interventional therapy — a technique that delivers concentrated anticancer medication directly into the tumor’s feeding artery to achieve perfusion and embolization. This localized approach is designed to destroy the tumor thoroughly and is often recommended for patients with mid-to-advanced stage cancer. They were also introduced to other advanced options available at the hospital, including cryotherapy and nanoknife technology.
On September 20, 2018, Saidah was admitted to the hospital. At that point, the 12cm tumor in her breast was causing her persistent, unrelenting pain.
A Combined Treatment Plan and Its Results
After a thorough evaluation, the hospital’s Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) designed a treatment strategy that paired interventional therapy with cryotherapy. Over the course of her treatment, Saidah underwent:
- 8 sessions of interventional therapy
- 2 sessions of cryotherapy
The results became apparent after her second treatment course, when the tumor had shrunk by 5cm.
Recalling her experience, Saidah shared: “Right after my first admission, I was given cryotherapy, and 10 days later I went back to Indonesia. Within the following two weeks, the tumor tissue became necrotic, my pain eased significantly, and my condition returned to normal.”
Reflecting on the Journey
Saidah noted that patients in a fragile physical state may still face certain complications during treatment. In her case, she found interventional therapy to be highly precise, targeting the tumor directly while sparing the surrounding healthy tissue. This allowed her to move around freely and return to her usual daily activities after treatment.
She also spoke highly of the medical team, describing them as dedicated professionals who took every complaint of discomfort seriously. She recalled that when she experienced sharp pain in her breast during her first admission, the attending doctor addressed it right away — an experience that left her deeply grateful.
Upon being discharged, Saidah credited her family’s unwavering support as a major source of strength throughout her cancer journey. She also had a message for other patients facing similar battles: never give up, stay positive, and commit to the right treatment plan — because cancer can be overcome.
