In her nineties, she sports a head of vibrant pink hair, standing out even in a bustling crowd. She is Sudal, the 2024 anti-cancer star for the Thai Region of St. Stamford Modern Cancer Hospital Guangzhou. Now 90 years old and approaching the 6th anniversary of her cancer recovery, Sudal’s journey is one of resilience and hope. With a family history of breast cancer, both she and her daughter were diagnosed with the disease. From undergoing mastectomy, facing recurrence, and ultimately triumphing over cancer, her path has been challenging yet unwavering. What inspiring story lies behind her journey? Let’s hear her tell it in her own words.

(Sudal)

She's diagnosed with breast cancer       

Recurrence after total resection

In August 2018, I discovered a lump in my right breast, which prompted me to visit the hospital for a CT scan, breast ultrasound, and other examinations. I was diagnosed with breast cancer. The pathology report revealed invasive cancer on the right side, along with 80% carcinoma in situ. The size of the lump was approximately 4 cm, and there was also metastasis to the right axillary lymph nodes. Following my doctor’s recommendation, I underwent a mastectomy to ensure that no cancer cells remained. Additionally, I received multiple rounds of chemotherapy.

The desire to look beautiful is universal, especially for a woman with a deep passion for aesthetics like me. Choosing a total mastectomy was an agonizing decision, one that involved intense psychological struggle. The surgery not only brought excruciating physical pain and unhealed scars but also inflicted immense emotional torment. I had hoped that enduring this series of hardships would eventually bring good news, allowing me to bid farewell to cancer. However, the bad news came one after another.

Countdown to March    

Five days to make a decision

In July 2019, during the regular review process, it was found that the condition began to deteriorate and recur, and there were multiple metastases, such as liver, my daughter immediately found me a famous local hospital in Thailand and an authoritative doctor, intending to continue treatment, but after many places, the diagnosis given by the doctor was surprisingly consistent: I could only live for three months at most, and my life was forced to switch to countdown mode. 

Life seems to have come to an end, but my daughter never gave up, she said that there’s no treatment in Thailand, then we will go abroad for treatment, she has been looking for information on the Internet day and night because her daughter has been diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015, and has also experienced a tortuous treatment process, so after learning about the minimally invasive therapy of St. Stamford Modern Cancer Hospital Guangzhou on the website, we went to the Bangkok International Service Center in Ratchada for consultation for the first time, and the doctor in the office looked at the examination results we brought and inquired about the treatment history. We formulated a preliminary treatment plan, from consultation, visa and passport application, and departure, it only took us 5 days to come to St. Stamford Modern Cancer Hospital Guangzhou, China.

Interventional therapy combined with microwave ablation helped me fight cancer successfully

After being admitted to the hospital, the doctor did a series of examinations. I have a deep memory of the examination process because the examination process is very careful compared to the examination done in Thailand; the doctor's inquiry is very detailed, and she also explained the examination report very clearly, after the examination report came out, it was found that the cancer cells further spread and metastasized to the liver, and was diagnosed as the recurrence of right breast cancer after surgery with liver metastasis stage IV, because the tumor is too large and there are a lot tumors, and it’s accompanied by grade 3 high-risk hypertension and type 2 diabetes and other underlying diseases. According to my latest disease progress and physical fitness, the MDT of St. Stamford Modern Cancer Hospital Guangzhou first used microwave ablation technology to reduce the burden on the liver, and the microwave thermocoagulation microneedle directly punctured the breast tumor to cause necrosis without surgery, and the whole process was less pain, which is very suitable for elderly patients like me. Compared with traditional chemotherapy, it has a high drug concentration and will not damage normal tissues, which is friendly to me, who has poor physical fitness.

Now, more than five years cancer-free, I am in excellent health and living a normal life. I even frequently participate in activities like hiking. Being invited back to the hospital as a cancer warrior to share my journey fills me with joy—it’s something I’ve always wanted to do. Fighting cancer is like navigating through the night before dawn. You don’t know when or if the sunrise will come. Walking alone in the darkness, you are engulfed by uncertainty, fear, anxiety, and a whirlwind of emotions that can easily overwhelm you. That’s why I hope my experience can serve as a beacon of light for those still struggling, offering them at least a glimmer of strength to keep moving forward.

Approaching 100: 

Grateful to Have Found St. Stamford Modern Cancer Hospital Guangzhou

This time, I also went to visit my attending doctor, Director Dai Wenyan, she is an authoritative breast oncologist at St. Stamford Modern Cancer Hospital Guangzhou. She used her professionalism and love to help me fight cancer successfully, and she continues to help thousands of breast cancer patients.

My family and I are truly grateful to St. Stamford Modern Cancer Hospital Guangzhou. We hope that everyone battling illnesses will find the right treatment and succeed in their fight against cancer as soon as possible.