Lung Cancer Patient’s Tumor Shrinks 90% After Minimally Invasive Care
An Unexpected Diagnosis
Nguyen Van Chuyen, a 56-year-old man from Vietnam, never expected a routine visit for stomach pain to change the course of his life. During checkups related to his stomach discomfort in August 2018, doctors discovered an unusual mass in his lung. A follow-up biopsy confirmed everyone’s fears: it was lung cancer.
Overwhelmed by the diagnosis, Nguyen and his family sought guidance from his physician, who recommended St. Stamford Modern Cancer Hospital Guangzhou — a hospital accredited by the Joint Commission International (JCI) and known for treating complex cancer cases. Despite his anxiety, Nguyen decided to pursue this recommendation.
Reaching Out for Help
Nguyen’s family got in touch with the hospital’s Hanoi representative office to begin the process. Carrying his full set of medical records, he had a remote consultation with oncologist Dr. Wang Zenghai. Based on the initial findings, the doctor proposed a treatment approach that would combine interventional therapy with cryotherapy.
Arriving at the Hospital and Confirming the Diagnosis
Nguyen traveled to St. Stamford Modern Cancer Hospital Guangzhou on August 25, 2018. Once admitted, Dr. Wang Zenghai — now serving as his primary physician — ordered a comprehensive round of diagnostic tests, including CT imaging, tissue biopsy, and EGFR mutation analysis.
The results confirmed stage IIIA lung cancer. Imaging revealed a tumor measuring 3.8 x 3.3 x 4.6 cm located in the left lower lobe of his lung, along with several metastatic sites in the mediastinum. Blood work showed his CEA tumor marker had climbed to 12.49 ng/mL, a sign of active tumor activity.
A Coordinated Treatment Strategy
Following a thorough case review, the hospital’s Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) designed a treatment plan built around interventional therapy paired with natural therapy. Nguyen went through two rounds of interventional therapy — a minimally invasive technique in which doctors thread a microcatheter directly into the artery feeding the tumor, delivering concentrated anticancer medication straight to the cancerous tissue.
Key features of this approach include:
- Targeted drug delivery directly to the tumor’s blood supply
- No open surgery required
- Minimal discomfort during the procedure
- Fast recovery time
Describing his experience with the first round of treatment, Nguyen shared that he felt no pain throughout the procedure. Because it involved no incisions and produced no significant side effects, he was able to get out of bed the very next day.
Remarkable Results
By his third round of treatment, follow-up CT scans delivered encouraging news: the metastatic spread in his mediastinum had completely resolved, and the primary tumor in his left lung had died off by 90%. His CEA marker, once elevated at 12.49 ng/mL, had dropped dramatically to 1.39 ng/mL.
Overjoyed by this progress, Nguyen and his family expressed deep appreciation to the medical team at St. Stamford Modern Cancer Hospital Guangzhou for the advanced care and expertise that made this outcome possible.
Continuing the Journey
Nguyen returned for a fourth round of treatment in early March 2019. This time, his medical team again combined interventional therapy with natural therapy, aiming to reinforce the treatment’s effectiveness while supporting his overall immune function.
Finding Community During Treatment
Beyond the clinical results, Nguyen spoke warmly about the sense of belonging he found during his stay. He noted that many other Vietnamese patients were being treated at the same facility, and the shared background helped ease the emotional weight of the experience. Patients often gathered in the evenings to talk and unwind together.
He emphasized that every patient received equal attention and thoughtful care throughout his stay, which made the experience more comfortable despite the seriousness of his condition. Reflecting on his journey, Nguyen expressed gratitude for his results and voiced a hope that other cancer patients would also gain access to timely, effective treatment.
