In July 2026, Mr. Luo sat in a hospital room at Modern Cancer Hospital Guangzhou, using his left eye—once nearly blind—to identify the number of fingers held up before him. From only being able to see blurry moving figures, to now being able to count the fingers held up—"one"—this is insignificant to most people, but to him, it is a miracle.

       Just three months earlier, doctors in Malaysia had told him: he had only 6 months left to live.

Mr. Luo

A Six-Month Sentence

       In December 2025, a lump appeared on the right side of Mr. Luo's neck. At first, he did not pay much attention to it. In March 2026, another lump emerged on the left side of his neck. Soon after, his left eye's vision dropped sharply, followed by left-side facial paralysis, nasal congestion, and headaches.

       He went to a local hospital. The CT results showed: a massive tumor in the nasopharynx, extensive destruction of the skull base bone, invasion of the left temporal lobe, multiple lymph node metastases in both sides of the neck, and a nodule in the right lung apex. He underwent surgery to remove the nasopharyngeal tumor, but the portion invading the skull could not be removed.

       After surgery, the doctor prescribed some medication, but his condition showed no improvement. Then came an even crueler verdict: "You only have 6 months left."

       Mr. Luo refused to accept this. He and his family went to Singapore seeking a final glimmer of hope, but were turned away. "The doctor said the chance of a cure was too small, so they wouldn't take him in." Recalling this, his tone remains calm, but his eyes hold all the despair of that afternoon.

A Search Fueled by Defiance

       In his despair, he did not give up. He continued searching online for treatment information until he found the Malaysia International Service Center of Modern Cancer Hospital Guangzhou.

       He went for a consultation and met Director Hu Ying. Director Hu did not offer empty comfort. Instead, based on his CT scans and examination reports, she analyzed his condition in detail, explained what treatments could be done after coming to the hospital, and how much survival time could potentially be gained.

       "Professional consultation gave me hope," he said.

       Just three days after the consultation, Mr. Luo boarded a flight to Guangzhou.

Mr. Luo upon first admission to our hospital

High Burden at the Terminal Stage

       On May 7, 2026, Mr. Luo was officially admitted. The examination results were even more severe than expected: undifferentiated subtype of nasopharyngeal carcinoma, T4N3M1, Stage IVC—the most advanced stage. Multiple metastases in both lungs, and multiple lymph node metastases in both sides of the neck, supraclavicular region, mediastinum, and hilar region. His left eye was nearly blind, and the left side of his face was completely paralyzed.

       What was even more challenging was that his body was in a state of high tumor burden accompanied by an acute inflammatory response. CT showed newly appearing "carcinomatous lymphangitis," indicating that the disease had entered the terminal stage and his condition could deteriorate at any time due to acute respiratory failure.

       Faced with this patient who had been given a "death sentence" in Malaysia and rejected in Singapore, the hospital's MDT formulated a comprehensive plan of "arterial interventional perfusion chemotherapy + immunotherapy + local physical therapy."

Vascular interventional therapy

After the First Treatment, Change Began

       On May 11, 2026, Mr. Luo received his first arterial interventional perfusion chemotherapy. "The first treatment was painful, but the 2nd and 3rd weren't as painful," he said.

       On May 15, the ward round records noted encouraging changes: the pain in both sides of the neck was significantly relieved, and he slept soundly at night. His left eye's vision had improved significantly compared to before treatment—he could now distinguish fingers moving before his eyes.

       "When I first came to the hospital, my left eye was 98% blind, nearly completely sightless," he said. "After treatment, I could gradually see shadows." By touch, he could also clearly feel that the tumors on both sides of his neck were continuing to shrink and soften.

       On May 22, he underwent cryoablation of the right neck tumor plus biopsy. Postoperative pathology showed positive PD-L1 expression (CPS=30), providing a clear basis for subsequent immunotherapy。

Cervical lymph node tumor before and after treatment

Lung tumor before and after treatment

After treatment, purulent secretions caused by the nasopharyngeal tumor decreased

From Despair to Positivity

       In July 2026, follow-up CT showed: the nasopharyngeal lesion had slightly shrunk compared to before, the multiple lymph nodes in both sides of the neck, mediastinum, and hilar region had shrunk, the multiple metastatic tumors in both lungs had shrunk, and the carcinomatous lymphangitis had eased.

       In July, when Dr. Hu Ying made her ward rounds again, Mr. Luo's left eye vision had changed once more—from only being able to distinguish finger movement to now being able to accurately identify the number of fingers held up—"one."

       "My vision has now recovered by 30%," he said.

       For a terminal patient who had been told he had "only 6 months left," this number is not just a percentage—it is a regained confidence in life itself.

       Mr. Luo admitted that even after coming to Guangzhou, he still felt despair after the first interventional treatment. "I felt unwell and didn't know if I could make it through." But as the second and third treatments were completed and his body continued to improve, hope gradually returned.

       "From feeling hopeless at the beginning, to now feeling that I can live a bit longer, my mindset has become more positive."

       When talking about the difference in treatment experience between his home country and Guangzhou, he was very direct: "The doctors in Malaysia told me how long I had left to live, but the doctors here don't say that. They give me multiple treatment options and comfort me to focus on treatment. I've talked with other patients and learned that many people with serious conditions have lived for many years after treatment."

       He especially mentioned Director Dai Wenyan: "She is serious but very gentle. During local anesthesia, she would chat and joke with me to help me relax." He knows the hospital organizes patient activities and outings, but due to his physical condition he cannot participate for now. He looks forward to joining in the future.

Mr. Luo and his attending doctor

Losing Hope Is Losing Life

       By August 2026, Mr. Luo had completed a total of 7 arterial interventional perfusion chemotherapies, 1 cryoablation, and immunotherapy. Follow-up examinations showed: the lesions continued to shrink, his weight remained stable during treatment, facial numbness was reduced, there was no swelling or pain in the neck tumors, and his left eye vision continued to improve.

       "My family kept encouraging me not to give up," he said. "I am very grateful for their support, and I thank God for hearing my prayers."

       To patients currently undergoing cancer treatment, he has only one thing to say:

       "Losing hope is losing life. Listen to your doctors and focus on treatment. The process takes time, but don't give up, and don't lose hope."

       From "six months" to "living longer," Mr. Luo, through more than three months of treatment, has regained what he thought he had lost forever—not just an extended life, but the courage to stand up again.