Iressa3005138

Sometime in early August 2007, Swee (not real name, 71 years old female from Indonesia) had coughs with blood stained phlegm. She consulted a general medical practitioner who ordered an X-ray to be done, suspecting that she might have tuberculosis. The X-ray showed a tumour in her lung. She was subsequently referred to a specialist who did a CT scan and found "a 4.8 x 3.9 cm soft tissue mass with lymphadenopathy of the right lung." It was a 3A cancer. A biopsy was recommended but Swee declined and decided to come to Penang for a second opinion. In Penang, a bronchial biopsy was done and the result confirmed the earlier diagnosis. It was a "infiltrating, poorly differentiated carcinoma. Iressa " Swee was referred to an oncologist for chemotherapy. A day before Swee was scheduled for chemotherapy she received a phone call from a relative telling her to go for treatment in China instead. This she did without hesitation. Swee was treated in a private hospital in China for twenty-eight days. She underwent the following treatments: 1. Chemotherapy with Navelbine. 2. Cyroablation using Argon-helium. Three cryoprobes were inserted into the lesion and the whole freezing process was monitored with the CT scan until "iceball" completely covered the target mass. After two freezing-thaw cycles the cryoprobes were pulled out. 3. Radioacative iodine seeds implantation. Under guided CT scan, 15 radioactive iodine-125 seeds were implanted into the tumour mass. The doctors concluded that these treatments were successful. Swee was allowed to return home to Indonesia. In November 2007, Swee returned to China for her second round of treatment. This visit lasted fifteen days. She underwent the same treatments: chemotherapy with Navelbine, cryoablation and iodine seed implantation. According to the doctors, the second procedure was successfully carried out and the patient's condition Iressa was better. According to her son who accompanied her to China, the Chinese doctors suggested that Swee undergo a total of six treatments. Her son said: "The doctors assured us that the tumour will go away but at the same time warned that the cancer can spread to other parts of the body. Iressa