"Must have joint removed," "must have leg amputated" - cold phrases that used to haunt the petite girl Nguyen Thi Minh, who faced terrible bone cancer at the age of 23.
The beginning of a nightmare
In May 2022, Minh had knee pain. At first, she thought it was just sore from exercise. However, the pain did not subside, and became more intense, to the point that Minh could not walk. After a period of treatment at a local hospital with a diagnosis of "knee effusion," her condition did not improve.
When the biopsy results at a central hospital showed that Minh had femoral sarcoma - a malignant bone cancer, her world collapsed. Her unfinished dreams and ambitions now faced the risk of ending. Even more painful, the doctor informed her that to control the disease, she might have to have one leg amputated.
The journey to find a miracle
However, Minh's family refused to give up. They decided to look for every solution, taking her everywhere with a faint hope. In the midst of despair, they learned about Prof. Dr. Tran Trung Dung, a leading expert in bone cancer in Vietnam, a pioneer in limb preservation surgery.
Immediately after the examination, Prof. Dung confirmed that Minh could be treated with limb preservation - an advanced solution that allows the retention of both legs without affecting the effectiveness of treatment. Hope was rekindled, Minh and her family decided to put their trust in the team of doctors at Vinmec.
The biggest battle of her life
In September 2022, Minh underwent the most important surgery of her life at Vinmec. Prof. Dung and his team successfully performed limb preservation surgery by removing the tumor, treating the damaged bone with liquid nitrogen to destroy cancer cells, and then regenerating the grafted bone to be put back into the body.
After the surgery, Minh's recovery journey was a long and challenging one. With 12 chemotherapy cycles and months of rehabilitation, she fought relentlessly. But Minh's extraordinary willpower won. Just one month after finishing treatment, Minh returned to normal life, and she was even able to go to work.
Rebirth from hopelessness
By June 2024, Minh's health was completely stable. Not only did she return to normal life, she also chose to become a Secretary in the Bone Cancer Department at Vinmec - the place that helped her revive, with the desire to spread hope to patients like her.
"I used to think my life ended at the age of 23, but Professor Dung and Vinmec saved me. Now, I have the responsibility to share information so that other patients know that bone cancer is not the end," Minh emotionally shared.
Miracles from advanced medicine
Bone cancer used to be a "death sentence," but at Vinmec, more than 90% of patients are treated with limb preservation methods - a major step forward to help patients retain their limbs and improve their quality of life. Prof. Dr. Tran Trung Dung and his team have pioneered the application of techniques such as:
- Artificial joints and growth joints.
- Allograft bone grafting.
- Using liquid nitrogen solution to destroy cancer cells.
Thanks to these methods, thousands of bone cancer patients have been reborn and regained normal life.
To make an appointment at the hospital, please dial the HOTLINE or make an appointment directly HERE. Download and make an automatic appointment on the MyVinmec application to manage, track schedules and make appointments anytime, anywhere right on the application.
