To express her gratitude, Ms. Liang specially brought a thank-you letter and a banner of appreciation to the hospital on November 14 to thank the experts.
Lung nodules detected during physical examination; one has undergone malignant transformation.
In mid-September, a 37-year-old Ms. Liang underwent a routine physical examination and was found to have small nodules in the upper lobes of both lungs, with the largest one being 1cm in diameter and exhibiting ground-glass opacity changes.
The sudden discovery of nodules in both lungs caused Ms. Liang considerable anxiety. Seeking professional diagnosis, she sought out Professor Yu Lijuan, a renowned expert in the diagnosis of small lung nodules and the director of the Nuclear Medicine Department at Hainan Cancer Hospital.
(Photo of Professor Yu Lijuan reviewing the images)
After carefully reviewing the images, Professor Yu was particularly attentive to the nodule in the upper left lobe. Based on the nodules morphology, structure, and other characteristics, she judged that there was a high probability that the nodule was a microinvasive adenocarcinoma (early-stage lung cancer) and was adjacent to the pleural membrane, recommending surgical intervention as soon as possible.
Upon hearing about the surgery, Ms. Liang was quite resistant and hoped to observe for a while longer. She admitted that she had undergone open surgery two years ago and was filled with fear regarding surgery.
Patient interests first. To reassure the patient, Professor Yu Lijuan patiently educated her about the disease and surgery. She explained that microinvasive cancer refers to cancer cells breaking through the basement membrane but with an infiltration range not exceeding 5mm, categorizing it as a very early-stage lung cancer. At this stage, surgery, specifically thoracoscopic minimally invasive surgery, offers advantages such as minimal trauma and rapid recovery. The surgery not only has the potential to completely remove the lesion but also fundamentally blocks the spread of cancer cells, theoretically achieving “clinical cure.” If delayed, further cancer cell infiltration and pleural invasion could increase the risk of recurrence even after surgery, necessitating subsequent radiotherapy and chemotherapy, thereby increasing financial burden.
To alleviate Ms. Liang’s concerns, Professor Yu Lijuan collaborated with Professor Wang Changli, a renowned lung cancer diagnosis and treatment expert in China and Director of the Thoracic Oncology Center at Hainan Cancer Hospital, to discuss and devise a treatment plan.
The expert team’s conscientious and responsible attitude, coupled with their robust diagnostic and treatment capabilities, restored Ms. Liang’s confidence in surgery.
Experts from the Thoracic Oncology Center discussing treatment options (archive image)
Expert Team Escort
Holistic Disease Management and Comprehensive Care
In early October, Professors Wang Changli and Wu Jun from our hospitals Thoracic Oncology Center performed a “thoracoscopic minimally invasive surgery” on Ms. Liang, precisely excising the lesion.
The postoperative pathological results were consistent with Professor Yu Lijuan’s diagnosis, confirming it as microinvasive adenocarcinoma.
“I’m very fortunate to have encountered the expert team at the thoracic oncology center. They successfully removed the time bomb inside me, and I can now live peacefully,” said Ms. Liang, moved beyond words. She specially wrote a thank-you letter, expressing her heartfelt recognition of the diagnostic and treatment technology and services in simple and sincere language.
Letterof Thanks
Dear Leaders of Hainan Cancer Hospital,
Greetings! I am a patient who underwent surgical treatment in Ward 1 of the Thoracic Surgery Department of your esteemed hospital on October 5th of this year. During my postoperative recovery, many aspects of Ward 1 of the Thoracic Surgery Department, ranging from the overall demeanor of the medical staff to the order and environment of the ward, from the professional and friendly treatment by the doctors to the daily nursing care provided by the nurses, have filled me with gratitude.
Upon admission for treatment this time, I am deeply thankful to Dr. Yu Lijuan, the attending physician, for her due diligence and patience in helping me resolve doubts and answer questions after reviewing my CT scan report, which gave me the courage to undergo surgical treatment. I would also like to express my gratitude to Dr. Wang Changli, the hospital director and lead surgeon, Dr. Wu Jun, the attending physician, and Dr. Cheng Quan for their superb skills, professionalism, kindness, and patience. Special thanks to Dr. Wu Jun for personally performing the extubation and dressing changes, and to Dr. Cheng Quan for providing me with sufficient comfort, patience, and encouragement in the face of my preoperative and postoperative anxieties and overbearing concerns. I am also grateful to the nursing team in the nursing unit for their dedication to patient care and their attentive work attitude. During each ward round, they inquired carefully and were considerate, operated strictly according to medical advice, and explained preoperative precautions in detail. Under their professional, effective, and meticulous care, I gradually recovered physically and spiritually. From admission, surgery, treatment process, to routine post-discharge follow-ups, I deeply appreciated the meaning of the words “Great Medicine with Sincere Heart.” The doctors practiced medicine with sincerity and rewarded patients’ earnest entrustment with outstanding treatment outcomes.
Lastly, I would like to thank Hainan Cancer Hospital for cultivating such highly ethical and skilled doctors and medical teams! I am also grateful to the hospital’s leaders for creating an excellent platform and attracting outstanding talent, allowing your hospital and Ward 1 of the Thoracic Surgery Department to provide patients with a better experience in terms of technology, equipment, service, and environment.
I wish your hospital to sail far and wide! I also wish all medical staff good health and all the best!
Ms.Liang
November, 2024
Chest Oncology Center
The Chest Oncology Center of Hainan Cancer Hospital is led by Professor Wang Changli, a renowned domestic expert in lung cancer. It brings together multidisciplinary experts from thoracic surgery, nuclear medicine, radiotherapy, pathology, medical oncology, and other related fields. The center establishes specialized clinics for small pulmonary nodules and multidisciplinary clinics for chest tumors, and regularly organizes multidisciplinary case discussions, academic exchanges, and other activities. This enables “integrated” and precise full-course diagnosis and treatment services for malignant tumors of the chest, such as lung cancer, ensuring that patients receive more timely, reasonable, and standardized medical care.
Expert Team
Written by | Chen Lin