London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Jul 30, 2025

Prince of Wales Hospital offers hope to lung cancer patients

Prince of Wales Hospital offers hope to lung cancer patients

A mother of two who suffered from terminal lung cancer in 2017 has seen her health restored after she went through a targeted therapy.
The woman in her 30s was diagnosed of terminal ALK lung cancer -- a type of lung cancer that sees mutation in lung cells’ DNA -- after suffering frequent back pain, dizziness and headaches.

Her CT and MRI scans, as well as a biopsy check, showed that the cancer cells in her lungs had spread to her spine and brain.

But her condition has been reversed after she received targeted therapy -- a treatment that uses specific drugs to accurately attack cancer cells.

The woman is now recovering, and is even able to take part in activities requiring high stamina, including hiking.

Behind her treatment was the Lung Cancer Multidisciplinary Team at Prince of Wales Hospital, which has adopted a multi-pronged approach in treating lung cancer, ramping up the survival rate of patients, even those with terminal lung cancer.

The 16-year-old team -- consisting of staff from six disciplines, including oncology, surgery, medicine, pathology, anesthesiology and radiology – considers approaches including immunotherapy, targeted therapy, chemotherapy, surgery and radiotherapy.

The team has also successfully detected lung cancer in some patients early.

Another case in 2016 involved a 65-year-old retired engineer, Yau, who was diagnosed with stage 1 of multiple primary lung cancer -- a kind of lung cancer characterized by more than one cancerous lesion -- after suffering coughs.

But the team faced a dilemma in treatment, as cancer cells were found on several lobes of Yau’s lungs.

“There were so many things to consider, like should we remove all the cancerous parts -- but would Yau be able to breathe properly afterwards?” Ng said.

“We tried to retain his pulmonary function as much as possible.”

To do so, the team’s surgeons performed three types of minimally invasive surgeries on Yau in a span of three years.

They included partial removal of lung tissues via a 3-centimeter cut on skin and an operation performed in a hybrid operation room – where there were several imaging devices, surgeons, anesthesiologists and nurses.

The team also performed “bronchoscopic microwave ablation” (BMA) on the patient, a scarless technique using microwave energy emitted from a catheter to destroy cancer cells.

“And only two hospitals in the world, Prince of Wales Hospital (in HK) and St Bartholomew’s Hospital in London, are equipped with the BMA technique.”

The team has partnered with nursing cases managers, launching the “Thoracic ERAS” program at the hospital in 2018 to enhance lung cancer patients’ post-surgery recovery.

'The program can drastically reduce the duration of hospitalization,” Ward Manager at Prince of Wales Hospital’s Department of Surgery Yeung Wai-kit said.

Yeung said throughout the program, each team of two nursing cases managers would oversee 40 to 50 lung cancer patients. The managers teach patients how they should take care of themselves before and after the surgeries, including exercises for physiotherapy, points to note for anesthesia, and follow up with dietitians.

Tony Mok Shu-kam, the hospital’s honorary consultant, said he hoped the team can pioneer in advanced lung cancer treatments in the future, including cell therapy and cancer vaccines.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Former Judge Charged After Drunk Driving Crash Kills Comedian in Brazil
Jeff Bezos hasn’t paid a dollar in taxes for decades. He makes billions and pays $0 in taxes, LEGALLY
China Increases Use of Exit Bans Amid Rising U.S. Tensions
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Procter & Gamble to Raise U.S. Prices to Offset One‑Billion‑Dollar Tariff Cost
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
Botswana Seeks Controlling Stake in De Beers as Anglo American Prepares Exit
Trump Administration Proposes Repeal of Obama‑Era Endangerment Finding, Dismantling Regulatory Basis for CO₂ Emissions Limits
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
A family has been arrested in the UK for displaying the British flag
Mel Gibson refuses to work with Robert De Niro, saying, "Keep that woke clown away from me."
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
The British propaganda channel BBC News lies again.
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
×