From 10cm to Under 1cm: A Filipino Woman’s Journey Through Stage IV Breast Cancer

For Lorna Logico, a 61-year-old woman from the Philippines, the fight against breast cancer spanned nearly a decade and involved two surgeries, repeated recurrences, and an eventual diagnosis of stage IV disease. Her story took a turning point when she traveled to China for minimally invasive treatment, a decision that helped shrink a 10cm tumor down to less than a centimeter.

A Diagnosis That Changed Everything

In 2010, Lorna discovered a lump in her right breast. A visit to a surgeon led to a biopsy, and the results confirmed her worst fear: breast cancer.

At the time, doctors considered her condition life-threatening. Loved ones rallied around her, exploring every possible avenue for treatment. In the Philippines, she understood that patients typically turned to one of two paths: herbal remedies or radical mastectomy surgery. Believing surgery offered the best chance to eliminate the disease completely, Lorna opted for a full mastectomy.

That hope was short-lived. By 2012, the cancer had returned, this time as a new tumor. Wary of the harsh toxicity and tissue damage associated with standard chemotherapy and radiotherapy, she declined those options and instead underwent a second surgical procedure to remove the growth.

Cancer Returns Again — And Advances to Stage IV

Just a year later, in 2013, the tumor came back in her right breast. This time, Lorna refused to undergo another operation, having seen firsthand that surgery alone wasn’t stopping the cancer from returning. She began searching within the Philippines for other treatment options, but nothing seemed to offer a lasting solution.

During this difficult period, doctors found that the cancer had spread to her right armpit. Imaging scans, including CT and chest X-rays, revealed a tumor that had grown to 10cm and had invaded her chest wall. Her diagnosis was upgraded to stage IV breast cancer.

Turning to Minimally Invasive Treatment in China

Recognizing the seriousness of her situation, Lorna made the decision to step away from her usual routine and actively seek out more advanced treatment options. That search led her to St. Stamford Modern Cancer Hospital Guangzhou and its minimally invasive treatment approach — an option that reignited her hope. Drawn by the therapy’s reputation for precisely targeting tumors while sparing patients from severe side effects, she quickly committed to pursuing treatment in China.

Lorna arrived at the hospital in May 2018. Her medical team designed a treatment plan combining two techniques:

• Interventional therapy
• Cryotherapy

Following four rounds of this combined minimally invasive approach, the results exceeded expectations. As Lorna described it during her fourth follow-up visit, the tumor that once measured 10cm had shrunk to less than 1cm — a result she credited partly to faith and partly to the care she received at the hospital.

Praise for the Care Team

Beyond the clinical results, Lorna spoke warmly about her overall experience at the hospital. She noted that the hospital arranged shuttle transportation for her arrival and departure, which eased the stress of traveling in an unfamiliar country. During her stay, she and her family also had the chance to explore Guangzhou, including a river cruise along the Pearl River and a visit to the area around Guangzhou Tower.

She described the medical staff as warm and attentive, saying their support helped ease her fears, answer her questions, and give her renewed hope throughout treatment.

Finding Community and Looking Toward the Future

Lorna also found comfort in the company of fellow patients at the hospital, many of whom checked in on her regularly and patiently answered her questions about treatments and procedures. She recalled a particularly touching moment when a fellow Filipino patient visited her ward to offer prayers of support. In turn, Lorna extended her own wishes of health and happiness to other patients undergoing treatment.

As her physical condition steadily improved following treatment, Lorna described feeling happier and more at ease than she had in years. Looking ahead, she shared a simple dream for her future: settling down on a farm where she could grow her own plants and vegetables.