Hai Phong old man talks about cancer radiation therapy 48 years ago

Present at Tan Trieu K Hospital (Hanoi) on October 21 with a tumor in the head of the pancreas, the old man surprised many doctors when he held in his hands the "Hospital discharge card", "X-ray treatment card", and medical records from K Hospital from 1970. The old brown and blue papers, some of which were so faded that the ink could no longer be seen, were carefully preserved by Mr. Hieu. Few people know that 48 years ago, Mr. Hieu had been treated for nasopharyngeal cancer at this hospital.

K Hospital was established in July 1969, from its predecessor, the Indochina Curie Institute (Institut Curie de L'Indochine) on Quan Su Street, Hanoi. Mr. Hieu was admitted for treatment at the end of September 1970. At that time, he was only 29 years old, working as a teacher at Hai Phong Agricultural High School.

He was diagnosed with stage I nasopharyngeal cancer, and the treatment was radiation therapy with a pure cobalt 60 radiation source. The treatment lasted for more than 2 months. According to the content on the "radiology treatment form", the treatment results were good. His last treatment date was December 19, 1970, and he was discharged from the hospital three days later. The person treating Mr. Hieu at that time was Dr. Nghia.

The results of each subsequent re-examination were clearly recorded with the conclusion that the disease was stable.

Ms. Ha Thi My, Mr. Hieu's younger sister, recalled that he could not eat rice but only porridge for 3 months and 10 days. His cheeks were pale from the radiation therapy. However, from that serious illness until 2 months ago, apart from a few normal illnesses, he had never been hospitalized.

Nasopharyngeal cancer forced him to leave school, he returned to his daily work and his hobby of reading books. Even though he is over 70 years old, he still works very well.

He is always conscious of maintaining his health, exercising, not drinking beer or alcohol, eating in moderation, having 3 meals a day, 2 bowls of rice each meal. He does not eat cold food, does not eat at the market, does not eat food left overnight, and never skips breakfast.

Ms. Ha Thi Nhu, 52 years old, Mr. Hieu's daughter, said that he strictly followed his sleeping, resting and working hours. Every day, he woke up at 4-5 am, went for a walk, and practiced arm swinging. He also participated in poetry and literature clubs and was invited to read poetry regularly.

He has 3 sons, 3 daughters and has a great-grandchild. Mr. Hieu and his wife live separately and cook their own meals. Sometimes he also cooks in the kitchen.

Ms. Nhu said that, apart from being deaf, her father was previously very healthy. For nearly two months now, his bowel movements have not been normal. He has tried changing his diet but it has not worked. He eats and sleeps poorly, sometimes does not want to eat, is thin, has lost about 5 kg, and currently weighs only 55 kg. His children and grandchildren took him to a nearby hospital and discovered that he had a stomach ulcer, dilated bile ducts, kidney cysts, kidney stones, prostate enlargement, and a tumor in the head of the pancreas.

Having been treated at K Hospital 48 years ago, this time his family also asked to transfer him here for treatment. "Last time he had nasopharyngeal cancer and was cured, this time he got sick, he was very calm," said Ms. Nhu.

Mr. Hieu recalled that the hospital room he was in 48 years ago had 5 people, but now 4 people are gone. This time when he went to K Hospital for treatment, he had to meet the hospital's Board of Directors to thank them for curing him over the years.

Mr. Hieu is currently being treated at the Hepatobiliary Pancreatic Department. After completing the necessary tests and imaging, the doctors will consult to come up with the best plan, suitable for the patient's health.