Female doctor in Hanoi refuses cancer treatment to have more children
Wanting to have more children so they could help each other when their mother passed away, Dr. Hanh refused chemotherapy, so the cancer metastasized.
On the morning of February 12, Dr. Nguyen Thi Hanh, 33 years old, working at the Department of Musculoskeletal, Bach Mai Hospital (Hanoi) underwent major surgery due tometastatic adrenal carcinomaShe had to undergo abdominal and thoracic surgery to treat metastatic tumors in the mediastinum, lungs and abdomen. The surgery was performed at Viet Duc Friendship Hospital.
Ms. Hanh is from Ninh Binh, graduated from the University of Medicine and then continued her residency in orthopedics. In 2014, she graduated with honors and worked at the Orthopedics Department, Bach Mai Hospital.
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Doctor Nguyen Thi Hanh. |
Having a stable job, a happy home with her husband and little daughter, life seemed peaceful for Hanh. One day, disaster struck. She was 6 months pregnant with her second child when the fetus died. A month later, she discovered she had adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC). In December 2015, doctors at Viet Duc Friendship Hospital performed surgery to remove a tumor measuring about 2.5 cm from the patient.At that time, between the decision to undergo chemotherapy and give birth, Hanh refused treatment so that she could have another baby. At that time, she thought, "One day when I pass away, at least the children will have two sisters to help each other."
After the surgery to remove the tumor, she continued her work as a doctor treating her patients at Bach Mai Hospital. In early 2016, she gave birth to another baby girl.
In January 2018, during a routine health check, she discovered that the cancer had metastasized to many places in the mediastinum, lungs and abdomen, with many large tumors nearly 10 cm in size. However, she still went to work, endured it alone, and did not dare to tell her family the bad news.
“I haven’t told my family yet, I’m afraid they’ll be sad. I want to take care of them when they’re old. What should I do with my two young children?” Hanh shared with her colleagues after the consultation to decide on a treatment method.
Trying to hide her worries and fears, these days she calmly examines and treats patients so they can be discharged early to celebrate Tet, while she herself prepares to enter a new battle. On the morning of February 12, Dr. Hanh underwent major surgery on herself, repeatedly cutting open her abdomen and chest. After this surgery, she will continue to fight with harsh chemotherapy to treat her cancer.
Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Kim Tien has asked doctors at Viet Duc Hospital to focus all their efforts on surgery to save Dr. Hanh. Bach Mai Hospital is also supporting and taking care of Ms. Hanh's family during her treatment. The Minister personally gave the family 5 million VND to celebrate Tet.