At the age of nearly 60 years old, Mr N.T.H. looks fantastic for his age and speaks with so much energy and passion about his love for the arts. If you met him, you wouldn’t believe that just five years ago he was fighting for his life.

NOT ALL CANCERS NEED SURGERY

Whilst Mr N.T.H. loves singing, there was a time when his voice was extremely hoarse and despite the amount of prescribed drugs he took, it could not be cured. He decided it was best to visit an ear-nose-throat hospital and underwent an endoscopic examination which unfortunately found signs of cancer. Worried about his health, Mr N.T.H. visited a larger hospital in the city to do a biopsy. Through tests, doctors determined that the inner larynx had some abnormal cells. Mr N.T.H, went to another? hospital to get a second biopsy, the result was confirmed, the cancer cell was indeed formed. Recalling that time, Mr. N.T.H. said he was panicked to the point of not being able to eat and sleep well. He was instructed by many people to have surgery to remove the tumour. His wife was worried, and she spent a night praying in the hope a miracle would help her husband recover from the disease without having to cut off part of his body. Mr N.T.H. said that he had to reassure himself before he entered his treatment journey: “Come on, what will be, will be, the worst case is using surgery to remove the tumour”.

After consulting many establishments, Mr N.T.H. was introduced to Hy Vong Cancer Care Centre, part of FV Hospital (HCMC). With the thought that “we must remove the tumour to avoid the cancer”, Mr N.T.H. accepted to sacrifice part of the larynx to eliminate the original cancer cells. However, the doctors at the centre were thinking otherwise and confirmed that the patient did not need surgery to be cured. Mr N.T.H. recalled: “The doctor said I was lucky because the tumour was discovered at an early stage. Therefore, the centre can apply new treatments for me without doing surgery”. Mr N.T.H. was carefully consulted by Dr Vo Kim Dien on the treatment regimen who thoroughly explained the side effects that may occur during the healing process. These can include;  burnt vapor in the neck area, coughing, difficulty swallowing and being thirsty. Dr Kim Dien encouraged Mr N.T.H. to follow the radiotherapy regimen to recover, and his spirit gradually stabilized.

In the early days of treatment, Mr N.T.H, had difficulty using hot spicy food but it became better after he drank water. Only a few weeks later though, he was able to take hot spicy dishes. So within 2 months, after 35 radiation doses administered by the doctors, the cancer cells were completely destroyed in the larynx without causing any problems with Mr N.T.H.’s communication. Up til now, after nearly 5 years of consultation and examination, Mr N.T.H. is still completely healthy and has no signs of cancer cells.

NO ONE KNOWS HE HAD CANCER TREATMENT

When Mr N.T.H., after nearly 5 years of coming to Hy Vong Cancer Treatment Centre, visited once again to check on his health status, suddenly the conversation topic changed to art. He excitedly shared with us the beautiful photos that captured interesting moments in his life. For many years, Mr N.T.H.’s artistic love has never been lost, even when he knew he had a laryngeal cancer. The treatment of the disease does not affect his daily life, he still works and enjoys his artistic pleasures. It is clear that his soul is full of joy from his music, poetry and photography.

According to Mr N.T.H., finding the right place for treatment with laryngeal preservation method has given him confidence and optimism in life. Thanks to that, he not only recovered from the illness but also has a peace of mind to live a healthy, happy life with his love of art.