The torment of illness and the pressure of financial burdens once made Xiao Dan (alias) want to give up treatment. However, her instinct to survive and her desire to pursue education allowed her to persist. In February 2023, just as her university semester began, Xiao Dan experienced severe back pain, which neither oral nor topical medications could alleviate. She visited her local community hospital for an X-ray, which revealed a mass in her abdomen. At that moment, Xiao Dan feared the worst—could it be a recurrence and metastasis of her rectal cancer?
Xiao Dan had been diagnosed with rectal cancer in 2016 after suffering from frequent diarrhea. She underwent radical surgery for rectal cancer and chemotherapy locally, with regular postoperative check-ups showing no abnormalities. "During the pandemic, I didn't go for my check-ups." Due to issues with medical insurance reimbursement, Xiao Dan returned to her hometown in Yunnan for consultation, where doctors told her the mass was just a uterine fibroid and that there was no need to worry—just observation would suffice.
During the observation period, Xiao Dan's back pain persisted, even requiring her to take oral morphine for pain relief. In search of a solution, she contacted the doctor who had performed her initial surgery and was told that surgery was an option. However, during the exploratory laparotomy, it was found that her tumor was severely adhered to surrounding organs, making surgery impossible. Only a peritoneal nodule was removed for biopsy, and her abdomen was sutured. Postoperative pathology confirmed that it was a recurrence and metastasis of rectal cancer.
Later, Xiao Dan underwent chemotherapy and targeted therapy, but the efficacy was limited, and the side effects were severe, making it difficult to continue treatment. The tormented Xiao Dan continued to seek new hospitals. One hospital informed her that surgery was possible but with high difficulty and risk, and that she would need to use a stoma bag and urinary bag postoperatively, which would severely impact her quality of life. Xiao Dan declined.
Cancer pain, debt... these challenges made Xiao Dan feel very negative, thinking that spending money was ineffective and only brought suffering. However, she still wanted to give it another try, thinking there might be new opportunities. In June 2024, Xiao Dan accidentally came across information about tumor ablation online. After learning that her local doctor had trained in this technique at Guangzhou Fuda Cancer Hospital, she decided to seek treatment at Fuda Medical's Department Six.
Upon admission, examinations revealed a cystic mass located behind the right side of Xiao Dan's uterus, with unclear boundaries between the uterus, rectum, and right adnexa. Imaging suggested the possibility of a benign condition. Unfortunately, intraoperative frozen section results confirmed malignancy. Therefore, our hospital's experts decided to perform cryoablation combined with intratumoral injection. This method avoids open surgery and allows the ice ball from the cryoprobe to directly contact the tumor lesion, reducing part of the tumor burden, slowing tumor progression, and providing pain relief.
Currently, Xiao Dan is recovering well, with pain significantly relieved. She was able to walk the day after the surgery, and her daily life has not been greatly affected. If she continues to receive immunotherapy, targeted therapy, and chemotherapy as follow-up anti-tumor treatments, there is still a good chance for survival with the tumor.
Additionally, Associate Director Li Hongmei of our Department Six reminds everyone that in daily life, back pain is often attributed to common issues such as lumbar muscle strain or lumbar disc herniation. However, if persistent back pain is unrelieved and accompanied by other symptoms such as unexplained weight loss, persistent indigestion, changes in bowel habits (e.g., constipation or diarrhea), or blood in the stool, it is important to seek medical attention promptly and undergo necessary examinations to ensure early detection and management of potential health problems.