After 13 years of not having a child, after IVF was successful, the cancer metastasized
Ms. Nguyen Thi T (38 years old, residing in Phu Luong district, Thai Nguyen province) has been on a journey to “find her child” for 13 years. But when she burst into happiness as a mother, fate challenged her again.
She had to make a life or death choice to be able to welcome her beloved child into the world.
She shared that the couple had been building a family for 13 years, but her husband was affected by Agent Orange and had difficulty having children. However, they still held out hope and sought treatment everywhere.
In October 2020, Ms. T was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer. Ms. T has been undergoing breast cancer treatment for a long time. From 2021 to early 2023, Ms. T’s health is stable.
The surgery was coordinated by doctors from Central K Hospital and Central Obstetrics Hospital. BVCC photo
In early May 2023, Ms. T. successfully performed IVF embryo transfer (embryos were created in 2020 before chemical treatment). The two siblings burst into joy about becoming parents.
However, in September 2023, when she was in the 20th week of pregnancy, Ms. T. discovered cervical lymph nodes. When I went to the doctor, I was diagnosed with metastatic cancer and the doctor recommended immediate cancer treatment.
After receiving careful advice from the doctor, facing the boundary of choosing whether to treat her mother or keep her two children, Ms. T simply and decisively said: “I am determined to keep my children.”
Ms. T left the hospital, returned home to monitor her health and listen to the heartbeats of two little creatures growing inside her body. “I just hope my children are healthy and born safely. My health is not as important as the lives of my two children,” Ms. T shared.
In November 2023, when the left cervical lymph node increased in size quite large, causing limitations in daily activities and neck movements along with severe pain and swelling of the left arm, the doctor transferred her to Central K Hospital.
Her voice was weak, but Ms. T’s eyes remained steadfast, determined to keep her two children. She also tried her best to coordinate with the doctor, to maintain her health so that the baby could stay in the mother’s womb for as long as possible, waiting for the day when she could be born safely.
When the mother was on the operating table, she was in poor health, causing the doctors to discuss very carefully about the surgical process and what could happen during surgery (Preparing the patient for surgery. Photo of BVCC)
Doctors at Central K Hospital decided to discuss with the Central Obstetrics Hospital to closely monitor the development of Ms. T’s tumor to prolong the maximum weeks of pregnancy.
By early December 2023, when the pregnancy reached week 34, the mother’s health was too weak, the doctors of Central K Hospital and Central Obstetrics Hospital decided to perform a cesarean section to deliver the pregnant woman’s baby.
Two twin baby girls weighing 1800 grams were born in the burst of emotions of a mother who longed for her children, even though there was a very long journey ahead that Ms. T. needed to try to overcome.
The surgery challenged both the patient and the doctor
After 2 weeks of intensive monitoring and treatment at the Department of Internal Medicine 6 and Emergency Resuscitation (Central K Hospital), the tumor continued to progress.
Doctors continuously held inter-hospital consultations to evaluate the patient’s overall condition. Associate Professor, Dr. Pham Van Binh, Deputy Medical Director of Central K Hospital, said: “Patient T. is a case of recurrent left breast cancer. metastases to the left supraclavicular lymph node invading the skin/IVF twins at 32 weeks.
Ultrasound results of the left neck showed many lymph nodes clustered in clusters with a diameter of 13mm; Vascular Doppler ultrasound: Complete thrombosis of the axillary vein and the first part of the left arm vein. The artery had partial thrombosis of the first part of the left brachial artery. Edema of the entire left upper limb. Arteriovenous thrombosis of the left upper limb.
The mother could not hold back her tears when she saw her baby. BVCC photo
The difficulty facing the treatment team is to both control the progression of the tumor and ensure safety for the twins to develop. The lymph node tumor causes pain for the patient; Anticoagulation must be used to treat tumor thrombi, otherwise there will be a risk of pulmonary obstruction.
For 2 weeks, doctors at Central K Hospital had to come up with treatment plans and special care from nutrition, cardiology, cancer… Currently, the tumor grows very quickly, if the tumor is not operated on. can cause invasion, rupture of blood vessels, compression, and difficulty breathing, so the proposed plan is surgery to ensure the safety of Ms. T and her three children.”
All preparations were carried out promptly and carefully. The surgical team also had the participation of doctors from both hospitals. The doctors discussed very carefully about the surgical process and what could happen during surgery. The surgery is carefully considered and calculated to ensure the safety of both the mother and the fetus.
The two little girls welcomed their first Tet in endless family happiness. BVCC photo
Just a few minutes after the surgery took place, at exactly 12:10 a.m., two baby girls, Nghiem Thi Ly; Nghiem Thi Huyen was born weighing 1800 grams. Her crying seemed to make the mother burst into joy, and the surgery team was also very moved. The baby was quickly transferred by doctors to the Central Obstetrics Hospital for care.
The surgery continued to be performed in a coordinated manner despite many difficulties and the risk of bleeding. After nearly 1 hour, the surgery ended successfully thanks to the smooth coordination of the inter-hospital surgical team.
The mother still has a long journey ahead to treat and fight cancer so that she can meet her children soon and be healthy enough to follow them into adulthood.
“Seeing two healthy children is the biggest wish of the whole family. Thank you very much to the doctors of the two hospitals. I will be determined to get treatment so I can see and take care of my children soon,” Ms. T choked up.
After 13 years of waiting, Ms. T and her husband were able to hug their two little daughters and welcome the year of Giap Thin with hope. Even though the road ahead to fight the disease is still difficult, Ms. T still believes in moving forward because “becoming a mother will make you stronger.”
“Women who have been treated for cancer should monitor their health during the period after treatment and have regular check-ups.
If you still want to give birth, you still need to talk to an oncologist so that he can examine, advise and coordinate with other specialties to give you the most useful advice, ensuring science and opinion. humanism”
Associate Professor, Dr. Pham Van Binh, Deputy Professional Director of Central K Hospital