SHARES
Life seems to be smooth sailing for Leon (not his true name). He is happily married and blessed with children. His construction company is growing well and providing a stable income for his family. Everything changed when he started losing weight and suffering from constant pain in the right loin. As it turned out, it was kidney cancer that had spread to his spine!
Unfortunately, things went south despite surgery and subsequent cancer treatments. His condition deteriorated and the pain continued to worsen. Desperate for a second opinion, he started looking for someone who is senior in the field of kidney cancer. Subsequently, Leon consulted Dr Tay Miah Hiang at Oncocare Cancer Centre. After a series of immunotherapy, his condition started to take a turn for the better, eventually achieving remission. He remained well until today.
Finding Out the Cancer Diagnosis
It was a stressful season – completing an urgent construction project for delivery in six months. “Looking back, the stress could have triggered cancer,” he recalled. Soon after completing the project, he noticed that he had lost 5 kg for no apparent reason. “I thought it was the stress or the change in diet while working on the project. Nevertheless, I visited the doctor to get my blood tested, but they did not find anything suspicious,” he said. “I also suffered from a constant pain at the right loin which was painful enough to wake me from my sleep.”
On September 2016, Leon underwent a CT scan, which revealed a large mass measuring 10.7 × 13 cm arising from the right kidney. The mass also invaded the right lobe of the liver and the L1 pedicle, a part of the spine. “My training in construction had taught me to remain level-headed during tough times. I remember requesting for the earliest slot to remove the mass without even discussing it with my family,” he mentioned calmly. Eventually, he broke the news to his family, who were shocked and supported his decision to go for surgery.
Despite appearing tough on the outside, Leon began to feel the weight of being stricken with cancer. “I was at the peak of my career. It was hard for me to accept that I had cancer.” As he informed his business partners about his condition, he felt helpless as he did not know how much time he would need to recover fully. “I thought to myself, as long as I have my right kidney removed, I should go back to normal in no time.”
What’s Next after the Surgery?
Three days after the mass was first found, Leon went under the knife for surgical resection, and a laboratory finding confirmed that he indeed had kidney cancer.
A PET scan in October 2016 revealed that the cancer cells have spread to the right cerebellum of the brain, T12 thoracic spine vertebrae and L1 lumbar pedicle (a tissue structure in the spine). Leon was put on Pazopanib, an oral targeted therapy for kidney cancer, as well as radiotherapy to target the metastatic sites where cancer had spread. Unfortunately, he developed increasing back pain and weight loss two months into treatment. “I felt so much weaker than before that I can’t even walk properly. Maybe the treatment wasn’t working for me and cancer cells had spread even more,” he said.
Exploring Other Options when Treatment was not Working
With worsening pain and his condition deteriorating, Leon was desperate to explore alternatives and seek a second opinion. Leon decided to consult another expert in the field of kidney cancer, Dr Tay Miah Hiang at Oncocare Cancer Centre. As expected, the latest PET scan with Dr Tay revealed several new bony metastases, including the thigh bone at the right hip joint, right hip bone as well as extensive involvement of spinal vertebrae T12, T11 and the upper surface of the skull. “With the grim news, I knew my condition was quite dire and critical at that stage. I didn’t know what lies ahead, but I try to be positive.”
Dr Tay quickly started Leon on a new treatment, immunotherapy with Pembrolizumab, as well as palliative radiotherapy to ease the pain and symptoms, “I took time off from work for three months starting from January 2017 because I felt too weak.”
Before long, March arrived. “It was the school holiday season. My family wanted to have a family outing. It has been a while since I drove my family out, but I felt strong enough to take my family to the zoo that day,” he recollected. “After a day out, I still felt alright. It was then I knew that I was getting better. We even went to the night safari the next day,” he continued.
“When April came around, I felt fit enough to work again. Another series of scan found that most cancer cells were gone! After that, I took another three to four months to rebuild my stamina.” Over the months, as Leon responded well to immunotherapy, he achieved complete remission of the disease. After slightly more than two years of treatment, immunotherapy was ceased in June 2019.
When Life Gives You Lemon, Make Lemonade!
“Looking back, accepting that I had a deadly cancer was hard because I had so many new experiences waiting for me. The possibility of being deprived of all that made me felt like life was unfair,” Leon painfully recalls. “However, I believed in being resourceful in the face of problems. If I feel unwell, I will consult specialists that could manage my condition. If things don’t go right, explore to find alternatives and get a second opinion. Remember, never give up on life!”
Leon also advocates pleasurable activities as good distractions from cancer. “I recommend fishing or prawning, as waiting for the catch helps to block out negative thoughts. A walk in the botanical garden helps too, as one needs to stay alert while walking,” he suggested.
Maintaining a positive mindset can be difficult in times of trouble, but downsizing the problem helped Leon to cope with his condition. “Don’t overthink. Allow time to grieve but snap out of it after a set time frame. Instead, focus on activities that bring you peace and happiness. Being able to sleep and eat well is of utmost importance to allow your body to heal.”
In addition, Leon changed his lifestyle to stay at the top of his game. “I would sleep at 9.30 pm so that I can wake up at 5.30 am for a morning walk. Waking up earlier also allows me to draft better business plans and solutions.”
“At the end of the day, always have a positive mindset and be grateful for the people around you. They are your family, friends and your medical team. Stay calm, and trust that better days are ahead.” Oh, if it wasn’t obvious enough, the tough guy won against deadly cancer!
A Word from GetDoc
Always listen to your body. Any unexplainable weight loss or pain should prompt a visit to the doctor for a body check-up. If you or your loved one experience unusual signs and symptoms, consult a doctor today for early diagnosis and treatment.
This patient testimony was brought to you by Oncocare Cancer Centre, Singapore.
Further reads:
- How to Spot Cancer Early – Beware of the Warning Signs [Part 1]
- How to Spot Cancer Early – Beware of the Warning Signs [Part 2]
Find an Oncologist in Malaysia, on GetDoc
Find an Oncologist in Singapore, on GetDoc
by Joanne Lee
Multipotentialite. Loves creating and seeing ideas come alive. View all articles by Joanne Lee.
