Cha Chi-hwan, Professor of Surgery at Hanyang University Hospital – Breast Cancer Min Byeong-mi
After being diagnosed with rheumatism, extreme stress… found a lump in the shower, diagnosed with breast cancer
After completing surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy, hormone control by taking anti-hormonal drugs
Professor Cha “A cheerful personality helps fight illness”… Mr. Min “The doctor’s consideration increases the will to fight illness”
Min Byeong-mi (62) was diagnosed with breast cancer in October 2022. She has completed surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy and is currently taking anti-hormonal drugs every day. She still has a long way to go before she is completely cured. Professor Cha Chi-hwan of Hanyang University Hospital, who is in charge of Min’s treatment, said, “Breast cancer is more complicated than other cancers. It takes 10 years after surgery to be considered completely cured.” She still has 8 years left. So strictly speaking, she is still a ‘cancer patient.’
However, both Professor Cha and Mr. Min are positive. They believe that if they continue to manage it as they are now, they can fully recover. Professor Cha said, “Mr. Min is the most exemplary case of fighting cancer.” We heard about Mr. Min’s fight.
![“Stress and Weight Gain Can Cause Breast Cancer”[병을 이겨내는 사람들]](https://dimg.donga.com/wps/NEWS/IMAGE/2024/08/24/126664247.2.jpg "“Stress and Weight Gain Can Cause Breast Cancer”[병을 이겨내는 사람들]")
● Does stress cause cancer?
It was May 2022. Pain appeared in the left thigh. Min did not think much of it. Then, when he pushed the load piled on one side with his leg, a problem occurred. It seemed like a ‘creak’ sound was heard from his knee. After that, his knee hurt frequently. It got better after going to a Korean medicine clinic and getting acupuncture, but after some time, the pain came back. He gradually started to get irritated.
In early August of that year, I went on a summer vacation abroad. When I arrived at the destination and was about to get off the plane, my legs started to swell. The pain was overwhelming. I couldn’t even walk properly. Since it was a package tour, I couldn’t come back and just waited for the 6-night, 7-day schedule to end.
As soon as I got back to Korea, I went to an orthopedic clinic. I got an anti-inflammatory injection. The symptoms seemed to subside, but after a week, the pain came back. At first, only my left leg hurt, but as time went by, my right leg also swelled and hurt. Since I couldn’t move well, I gained a lot of weight.
The stress was extremely severe. I was even diagnosed with rheumatism, but I was angry that I couldn’t get better. I kept whining and felt like my blood was rushing back to my head. When I got angry, my eyes felt like they were going to pop out. “I was on edge all day because of my leg problems. It was the most stressful time in my life,” Min said.
At the end of August, while showering, I felt a hard lump under my right breast. On some days, I felt pain in the area where the lump was. After that, I was diagnosed with breast cancer at Hanyang University Hospital. Professor Cha explained, “A hard lump in the breast is a typical sign of breast cancer. If you feel a lump, you should get it checked out without delay, like Min.”
Ms. Min speculated that “stress from rheumatism may be the biggest reason for breast cancer.” Is that really true? Professor Cha said, “There are quite a few cases of patients like Ms. Min who experienced extreme stress right before developing breast cancer.” He added, “Rapid weight gain may also have had an effect on developing breast cancer.” In fact, rapid weight gain in postmenopausal women is a major cause of breast cancer.
● 2cm cancerous lump… Start of treatment
Fortunately, there was only one lump. It was about 2cm in size. It was between stage 1 and stage 2. Although the lump was a bit large, it was close to the skin. If the cancer had grown deeper, it might not have been a hard lump to begin with.
In addition, there are many so-called malignant breast cancers that do not have good treatment outcomes, but Ms. Min’s cancer was relatively ‘mild’ and easily treated. Professor Cha said, “Although she did get cancer, it is fortunate in many ways.”
Professor Cha removed about 4cm of the tumor mass and removed the cancer. He also performed surgery to remove lymph nodes through the armpit to prevent possible cancer metastasis. He also removed the gallbladder, which had chronic inflammation. The surgery took a total of 3 hours.
The surgery went well. Since there was only one lump of cancer and it was completely removed, there was no need for chemotherapy. However, Professor Cha decided on chemotherapy. Professor Cha explained, “First of all, the cancer was not small at 2cm, and since he was at an age where we had to worry about recurrence, I decided that chemotherapy was the right thing to do.”
Chemotherapy began in January 2023. Since Min suffers from rheumatism, he had to be more careful with chemotherapy. This is because chemotherapy can cause side effects to the heart. He was hospitalized for 2 nights and 3 days to monitor his condition and received injections. It was done 4 times at 3-week intervals.
● Currently overcoming cancer
The cancer treatment process was not easy. I felt nauseous and my hair fell out. I lost my appetite. I had such a bad appetite that I even ate fermented foods like soybean paste or red pepper paste, which cancer patients should not eat, and had diarrhea. Professor Cha said, “Cancer patients have low immunity and are vulnerable to infections. They should avoid fermented foods because they can get enteritis.”
Still, I forced myself to eat to fight cancer. Sometimes I ate ten meals a day. As a result, I gained 16 kg. This time, I had to lose weight. To do this, Min devoted myself to work. Min worked at a clothing company. Although I felt dizzy and sweaty when I worked for a long time, I did not quit my job. “I was tired when I was at home, so I kept lying down. Then I could hardly exercise. I worked harder to avoid this situation.” Professor Cha said, “I recommend exercise to cancer patients, and working hard is also a good way.”
This was not the end. As soon as the chemotherapy was over, I started radiation therapy in April of that year. I visited the hospital every day and received 20-minute doses without being admitted to the hospital. I received this treatment because I had to not exceed the prescribed radiation dose. I received a total of 30 radiation treatments.
At the same time as radiation therapy, anti-hormone therapy was also started. Min’s breast cancer was a type that had strong female hormone receptors. In this case, female hormones can promote cancer cell growth. Therefore, anti-hormone drugs that lower female hormones must be taken for at least 5 years. The side effects of anti-hormone drugs were also not insignificant. In particular, if you have rheumatic disease, you will experience side effects such as stiff fingers and sore knees. Even so, Min takes anti-hormone drugs every day.
Life has become more abundant. About 10 years ago, Min won an award in the calligraphy category of the National Art Exhibition of the Republic of Korea. However, due to various circumstances, he was unable to write. He said that he wanted to write and draw again while fighting cancer. He picked up the brush again this April.
● You must fight cancer wisely
Min visits the hospital every six months to check for recurrence. She will visit the hospital every six months until five years after the surgery, and then once a year thereafter. What is the possibility of recurrence? Professor Cha said, “Assuming that she is declared cured 10 years after the surgery, the probability of her cancer recurring by then is 10-20%.” He added, “If she maintains her weight appropriately, manages her diet, and takes anti-hormonal medication without fail, the probability of recurrence will be lower.”
The thing that cancer patients fear the most is recurrence. Mr. Min also said, “I am most worried about recurrence. Every time I come for outpatient treatment, I become anxious about whether or not there will be a recurrence.” Professor Cha advised, “There is no need to be vaguely afraid. Encouragement from family, close friends, and the community can help you overcome your fear.”
Professor Cha emphasized ‘wise fight against the disease’. Above all, the patient’s positive attitude is important. Professor Cha said, “In Mr. Min’s case, he is cheerful and positive enough to make those around him feel good. He has a personality that is very helpful in fighting cancer.” Professor Cha also emphasized that patients need to study about the disease on their own. “The more the patient knows about the disease, the easier it is for the doctor and the patient to communicate. In this case, the possibility of finding the optimal treatment method also increases.”
Min cited trust in the medical staff as a necessary element for fighting the disease. She said that from the moment she began to trust her doctor infinitely, she gained the confidence that she could overcome the disease. Min explained, “From the moment I first met Professor Cha, he explained things kindly to me, and after the surgery, he came to my hospital room even on a holiday to hold my hand,” and “This consideration increased my will to fight the disease.” This means that the less authoritarian the doctor is, the smoother the communication with cancer patients becomes.
Reporter Kim Sang-hoon [email protected]
2024-08-23 17:33:28