（Interview with Vo Van Hoa）

On November 15, 2023, during the event "The Come-home Gala of Anti-cancer Stars Belt and Road Holistic Integrative Oncology Training Base" held by our hospital, Master Vo Van Hoa, an anti-cancer star from Vietnam, who had suffered from liver cancer, was dressed in a yellow robe with a calm and peaceful demeanor and stood out in the crowd.

Vo Van Hoa, an abbot of a temple in Binh Thuan Province, has remained healthy and survived for more than 5 years since July 2019 when he received minimally invasive treatment at St. Stamford Modern Cancer Hospital Guangzhou. Now, when we see Master Vo again, he has a light and healthy gait, his cheeks and figure are plumper than a few years ago as visible to the naked eye, and he smiles a lot during the conversation, which makes our medical staff feel the joy of reunion.

Reluctant to undergo surgery, his disciples recommend good hospitals

Vo Van Hoa has been a monk since he was 10 years old, when he was young, he went to major Buddhist temples to learn about Buddhism and travel until 1999 when he was diagnosed with Hepatitis C. Since then, he has been insisting on taking medication to treat the disease. Unexpectedly, the hands of time turned to 2019, hepatitis C deteriorated into liver cancer.

In June 2019, Vo Van Hoa developed a low-grade fever due to repeated exertion, accompanied by symptoms such as distension and pain in the right upper abdomen, headache, and the facial nerves were affected, especially paralysis and pain in the lower jaw and lips. Subsequently, he went to the local hospital underwent abdominal CT examination, and was initially diagnosed with hepatocellular carcinoma and cirrhosis of the liver. The local doctor suggested surgery, but Mr. Vo was unwilling to open his stomach and worried about the risks of surgery and postoperative infection. Hence, he refused the Vietnamese doctor's treatment plan.

By chance, Vo Van Hoa's disciple learned that one of his friends and relatives got good treatment in a well-reputed cancer specialist hospital, St. Stamford Guangzhou Modern Cancer Hospital, and now the tumor has completely disappeared. The disciple recommended this hospital to Vo Van Hoa, telling him that cancer can be treated well without surgery and introducing him to the latest minimally invasive technology. The technical advantage of "no surgery" deeply attracted Vo Van Hoa, who quickly found the Ho Chi Minh office for consultation and came to Guangzhou with the help of the staff.

Comprehensive Minimally Invasive Treatment Gives Him A Second Chance at Life

In July 2019, Vo Van Hoa came to St. Stamford Modern Cancer Hospital Guangzhou. According to his condition, the hospital's MDT discussed and decided to give him a comprehensive minimally invasive treatment plan.

During his first hospitalization, Vo Van Hoa received minimally invasive treatments such as interventional therapy and nanoknife. Interventional therapy can cut off the nutrient supply of cancer cells, inhibit tumor growth, and reduce tumor metastasis until the tumor is completely killed; while NanoKnife is a brand-new cutting-edge tumor ablation technology, which releases high-voltage pulses through electrode probes to penetrate the cell membranes of the tumor cells, forming multiple nano-sized irreversible electroporation holes and destroying the cell membranes, thus destroying the cancerous tissues and causing the cells to rapidly apoptose. His former attending physician, Director Ma, said that this treatment plan is perfect for cancer patients like Vo Van Hoa, who are unwilling to accept traditional treatments and have even become resistant to radiotherapy.

It is understood that before admission, the size of the tumor in Vo Van Hoa's body was 70*60mm. after interventional embolization and nano-knife treatment, the tumor was reduced to 22*16mm. Recalling the treatment process, Vo Van Hoa said: "because there was no need surgery, and each minimally invasive treatment was finished within half an hour. When doing the intervention, there was no pain and you could get out of bed the next day. The nanoknife was done under general anesthesia and there was nothing to feel."

(After 1 month of treatment, the tumor had shrunk significantly)

During the event, Director Ma recalled, "He received a total of five interventions and nano-knife treatments, and after the completion of the comprehensive treatment, the tumor in his liver disappeared, and his problems such as headache and fever and facial nerve affections were solved." After the tumor disappeared, he was readmitted to the hospital and received immunotherapy to consolidate the effect of the treatment in compliance with the doctor's instructions.

Since July 2019, Vo Van Hoa has been successfully fighting cancer for 5 years, which is a great happiness for his family. His sister said joyfully, "Previously, in the hospital in Vietnam, the doctors concluded that he could only live for 3 months without surgery, and the success rate was only 30% if he had surgery. Time proved that we were right in choosing to come to Guangzhou for treatment, and now he is still having regular checkups in Vietnam every year with completely stable results, and the state of health has now been extended for 5 years, which is a miracle!"

Doctor-patient relationship warms his hearts, set up a date of ten years

This is the third time Vo Van Hoa has returned to the hospital. In the interview, he said, "After I completed my treatment and returned to Vietnam, the epidemic broke out, and I carried out the daily management of the temple as usual, and also took an active part in the fight against the epidemic, and I was very fortunate to be able to regain my health so quickly thanks to the hospital's careful treatment and care."

During the hospitalization, because of the facial nerve discomfort and other symptoms, Vo Van Hoa was taken care of by our hospital staff, he was moved by it and composed a poem for them: "When we took a picture together, we remembered it on the other day, and the winds here are wonderful. The angel nurse is attentive day and night, and the good doctor reflects the lotus flower." Talking about the reason for writing the poem, he said, "I have been treated in other hospitals before, but I still choose this place because the doctors and nurses here are very professional, and they are warm and considerate to the patients."

With his personal experience, he emphasizes to other patients that a tumor is not a disease that definitely leads to death, but rather a chronic condition. "Now I am able to eat normally, work and do physical exercise. If you are diagnosed with cancer, please don't be discouraged, don't be sad, and make sure you follow your doctor's instructions and believe that you can regain your health."

During the gathering of the anti-cancer stars, Director Ma listened carefully to his sharing and kept smiling with a mixture of emotion and relief. He couldn't hide her excitement and made a "ten-year promise": "Seeing Master Vo in such a healthy state, I feel that all the efforts and dedication of our medical staff are worthwhile. I hope to meet you all again in ten years!"


After the event, Vo Van Hoa also experienced a wonderful Guangzhou tour with other stars in the fight against cancer. They cruise the Pearl River at night to experience the prosperity of the modern city, and traveled together to the Bao Mo Yuan to see the profoundness of Chinese culture. The rest of their lives after cancer, just like the road under their feet, stretches forward and is full of sunshine!

Introduction to minimally invasive techniques

[Interventional therapy]

Interventional therapy, puncture under the guidance of medical imaging equipment, the use of special guide wires and other precision instruments, anti-tumor drugs, which are two to eight times more concentrated than intravenous drip drugs, are injected directly into the internal tumor, and at the same time, the arteries supplying blood to the tumor are embolized, so as to achieve the purpose of tumor shrinkage or even disappearance.

1、With the advantages of small trauma, few complications, safety and fast recovery.
2、It is suitable for patients who have poor results with traditional radiotherapy, unwilling or unsuitable for surgery.

[NanoKnife]

NanoKnife is a brand new tumor ablation technology, originated from irreversible electroporation technology, through the electrode probe to release high-voltage pulses to penetrate the cell membrane of tumor cells, forming multiple nano-sized irreversible electroporation, disrupting the balance between inside and outside the cell, and making the cell apoptosis quickly. The advantages of treatment are short time, preservation of blood vessels, nerves and other important tissues in the treatment area, safety and reliability.

1、It has the advantages of small trauma, less complication, safety and fast recovery.
2、It can be adapted to more complex conditions, including pancreas, liver, lung, kidney, prostate and other solid tumors.