Chapter 367 - 240: Investing and Teaching at Fan City University Medical College
Chapter 367: Chapter 240: Investing and Teaching at Fan City University Medical College
"Director Wu, you’re truly amazing."
"No wonder Director Fu from the Hepatic Tumor Surgery department at Jinggang University Affiliated First Hospital told me to come get an appointment with you."
A woman in her forties, who was waiting in line, sighed with admiration after witnessing Wu Ting’s miraculous diagnosis and brilliant popular science explanation.
The others looked over, not quite understanding what she meant.
Long Jie was a professor at Fan City University Medical College and the former director and head of the Medical Experiment Center. Although she was now retired, she still wielded considerable influence.
She had previously gone to Xiao City Jinggang University Affiliated First Hospital for an examination after experiencing pain in her chest, back, and left hypochondriac region for over twenty days. After a thorough workup, she was diagnosed with primary hepatocellular carcinoma with portal vein tumor thrombus and bone metastasis, complicated by hepatitis B-related cirrhosis.
Her condition was extremely severe. It was essentially late-stage liver cancer, and she had already missed the window for surgical resection and a complete curative treatment.
Given the patient’s condition, Director Fu was powerless to reverse it. He could only offer palliative care, aimed at improving efficacy, extending her survival, and enhancing her quality of life.
As someone who worked in the medical field, Long Jie was well aware of her own situation. She had gone through stages of indignation and despair, but had now come to a state of calm acceptance.
On Director Fu’s recommendation, she had come to hear Director Wu’s opinion.
Initially, Long Jie held no hope for a junior doctor from City First Hospital. However, since she was already at the end of her life, she figured Director Fu had no reason to mock her.
So, she came with the attitude of just giving it a try. After entering the Hepatic Tumor Surgery department, Long Jie carefully examined Wu Ting’s profile on the "Specialist Showcase" board.
His research on curative therapies for primary hepatocellular carcinoma related to hepatitis B gave Long Jie a glimmer of hope.
Especially since Wu Ting had already completed the first and second phases of his research, and the new drug for the third phase was entering preclinical preparations.
A ripple disturbed the dead calm of Long Jie’s heart, which had been like cold ash.
After witnessing the previous patient’s diagnosis and the educational explanation on breast cancer, Long Jie saw how knowledgeable and professional Wu Ting was.
Hearing that Long Jie was a patient referred by Director Fu from Jinggang University, the others in the room had new thoughts.
’So this Director Wu is that skilled, to be recommended by a top expert from Xiao City.’
Fu Jinfen was very famous in the field of hepatic tumors in Jin Province; he was a truly renowned medical expert!
Many of the people present couldn’t get an appointment with him even if they tried!
Soon, it was Long Jie’s turn.
Wu Ting began reviewing the various examination results and imaging data that Long Jie had brought from Xiao City.
"Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) > 120,000 ng/mL, HBV DNA 2.27 x 10^7 IU/mL..."
"Upper abdominal MRI shows:"
"Diffuse, multiple space-occupying lesions in the liver, with the largest, measuring 12.0 cm x 11.2 cm x 9.6 cm, located from the right lobe to the left medial lobe. A small amount of ascites. The right branch of the portal vein is partially obscured, suggesting possible tumor thrombus formation..."
"A 7.0 cm x 5.1 cm mass in the left posterior rib area, considered a metastasis. Several small to slightly enlarged lymph nodes in the hepatic hilar region and retroperitoneum..."
After reviewing all of Long Jie’s records, Wu Ting’s expression also grew grim.
"Based on the current situation, my assessment is primary hepatocellular carcinoma with portal vein tumor thrombus and bone metastasis, complicated by hepatitis B-related cirrhosis..."
’Diffuse, multiple space-occupying lesions in the liver, a massive tumor in the right lobe with right portal vein tumor thrombus formation, a metastatic tumor in the left rib area...’
’Without a doubt, with conventional treatment plans, surgical resection is essentially impossible and would not be successful.’
Given the difficulty of the case, only one treatment plan came to Wu Ting’s mind: using his own phase three and phase four treatment protocols for primary hepatocellular carcinoma related to hepatitis B.
However, the phase three drug, Fengmu Tiada, was still in the preclinical stage, and he himself had not yet begun clinical practice for phase four.
Therefore, within the current medical world, there was no solution.
Wu Ting thought for a moment. He wouldn’t rashly use Fengmu Tiada on a patient when it hadn’t officially entered clinical trials. Even if the patient was willing to try it as a last-ditch effort, Wu Ting didn’t want any accidents that could cause unnecessary trouble.
In the end, Wu Ting proposed a conservative treatment plan:
"Long Jie, your condition is a massive and diffuse hepatocellular carcinoma with portal vein tumor thrombus and bone metastasis (CNLC Stage IIIB / BCLC Stage C), complicated by hepatitis B-related cirrhosis, a hepatic artery-portal vein fistula, and is Child-Pugh Class A. You are a late-stage patient and are not a candidate for surgery..."
Hearing Wu Ting’s final conclusion, the light in Long Jie’s eyes dimmed. As expected, Dr. Wu’s diagnosis was identical to Director Fu’s.
"For your treatment, I recommend a triple therapy combination: HAIC plus the targeted drug Lenvatinib and the immunotherapy drug Tislelizumab."
Listening to Wu Ting’s treatment plan, Long Jie gave a faint, disappointed smile.
"Director Wu, I understand."
Clearly, this plan was more or less the same as the one proposed by Director Fu’s team. It was just palliative care, aimed at improving efficacy, extending her survival, and enhancing her quality of life.
Still, Long Jie couldn’t accept it.
"Director Wu, I’ve read about your research projects. You’ve had some success; at Xiao City Jinggang University Affiliated First Hospital, you’ve even performed several curative surgeries for primary hepatocellular carcinoma related to hepatitis B. The results were significant, and to date, none of the patients have relapsed."
"Is there any chance... could you perform the most advanced surgical treatment for me as well? I’ve looked into it. Haven’t you developed a new drug, Fengmu Tiada, for treating hepatitis B-related cirrhosis and mid-to-late-stage primary hepatocellular carcinoma...?"