Finding Hope in Advanced Gastric Cancer: The Miracle of pCR After Two Surgeries | Patient Story

This article shares the journey of Lucky from the Panda Stomach Group 11, who bravely accompanied her father through his cancer battle. During the interview, she repeatedly emphasized, "If given another chance, I would definitely consult more hospitals." She also wants to remind fellow patients: don't panic after diagnosis. Seek out skilled specialists, visit multiple clinics, ask questions, and seek advice—there is always a way forward.

I. The Overlooked Warning Signs

After enduring stomach pain for a year, Lucky’s father finally agreed to undergo a gastroscopy at his family’s urging. Though he felt anxious, the moment the doctor said, "The results aren't good," Lucky’s hopes and emotional defenses completely crumbled.

Lucky’s father had eating habits that made the whole family shake their heads: skipping breakfast, leaving home at 5 or 6 a.m. and not eating until noon, loving late-night snacks, and being a fan of pickled foods. Due to these "bad habits," he was diagnosed with a gastric ulcer. "Whenever his stomach hurt, he would just go to our local hospital for simple treatment. One or two days of IV drips would relieve it," she recalled.

In early 2024, his stomach pain began to spiral out of control. Lucky had a sinking feeling, but busy with daily life and her father’s repeated "I'm fine" delays, the family didn't take it seriously. It wasn't until December 2024 that a "gastric cancer" diagnosis report shattered the family of five’s illusions, instantly plunging their peaceful life into an abyss.

Looking back, those frequent, ignored stomach aches were actually warning signs released by the cancer as it quietly took hold.

The month following the diagnosis was agonizing for Lucky. "I didn't tell my dad; I only told my brother and mom. It was incredibly hard back then." Feeling helpless and unable to do anything, she relied on her years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry and friends' help to connect with a major hospital in Changsha.

II. Stumbles on the Medical Journey

Fortunately, seeking treatment in Changsha went relatively smoothly. Through a friend, she secured an outpatient appointment with Professor Chen from the Gastrointestinal Surgery Department at Xiangya Hospital. Due to limited beds, her father was later transferred to another associate chief physician in the department. "He said he would discuss the surgical plan with the professor, and I agreed without overthinking it," she said.

At the time, an oncologist friend in Chongqing reviewed her father’s records and warned that surgery wasn't an option yet; he should undergo chemotherapy first and wait for the right timing. However, Lucky didn't want to miss the surgical opportunity assessed by the Xiangya doctors. After much hesitation, she chose to trust the attending physician and did not seek consultations elsewhere.

The surgery proceeded as scheduled on December 31, 2024. After a long wait outside the operating room, the doctor suddenly announced that the surgery had failed: upon opening the abdomen, they found the tumor was too large and had invaded the pancreas. The surgeon could only perform a gastrojejunostomy and had to end the procedure.

What she thought was a chance at survival turned out to be a futile incision, plunging Lucky into deep self-blame.

Discharged just before the Spring Festival, the family decided to return to their hometown to celebrate despite the treatment setback. Though they tried hard to hide the surgical failure, whispers in their small village eventually reached her father. "Some said my dad's illness was untreatable, and others advised me to give up early," Lucky recalled.

She remembered their life before the diagnosis: not wealthy, but harmonious and stable. Her father used to be easygoing and loved joking with the younger generation. Now, he had become silent, irritable, and deeply pessimistic about treatment. "At first, he refused to come to Changsha. He worried about losing both money and his life, and feared burdening his children. He often said, 'Let's stop treatment. I'd rather just die.' " Lucky sighed softly as she reminisced.

Actually, her father wasn't the only gastric cancer patient in the family. Lucky remembered her uncle, diagnosed with early-stage gastric cancer, who had survived over 20 years after surgery. Facing her father's situation, she felt both heartbroken and helpless. Believing that medical technology had advanced significantly over the past two decades and that cancer wasn't necessarily a death sentence, she repeatedly reassured him: "You're just like Uncle. Only a small part of your stomach is damaged. Once it's removed, you'll recover."

III. Finding Hope Through Persistence

Invisible pressure clouded the entire household. Since the diagnosis, Lucky’s mother took on almost all the chores, rarely showing weakness despite exhaustion. Lucky knew her mother wasn't unusually strong; she just didn't want to raise her husband's suspicions or worry her daughter. One day, after her father went out, Lucky accidentally saw her mother sitting alone at home, breaking down in tears on a security camera. It felt like a knife piercing her heart, leaving her nearly breathless with sorrow for both her sick father and her mother’s forced bravery.

Though others advised her not to "waste her efforts," Lucky only grew more determined to treat her father. Whenever she had time, she researched treatment options online and consulted numerous doctors. Even a single extra piece of advice felt like securing another sliver of hope for him.

Meanwhile, Lucky received her father’s genetic and immunohistochemistry reports, which showed AKT1 gene amplification and TP53 double mutations, with no common gastric cancer target mutations detected. She returned to Professor Chen, expressing her wish to continue treatment under his care. "I told him, if my dad gets a chance for surgery, please be the lead surgeon, and we'll continue treatment here." Moved by her persistence, Professor Chen agreed and designed a "chemotherapy + immunotherapy" regimen: Oxaliplatin + S-1 combined with Cadonilimab.

"My parents rarely spent money in their lives. For me, as long as it's within my means, I'm willing to spend whatever it takes. We have to try to know if it works. Besides, with modern medicine so advanced, I believe the doctor's suggestion is worth another attempt," she said.

During chemotherapy, her father experienced numbness in his hands and feet. Coupled with an intestinal obstruction lasting over a month after the first surgery, he later suffered from severe tooth pain that prevented him from eating, relying solely on painkillers.

What broke Lucky down even more was the chaos during the second chemotherapy session. Unfamiliar with the day-chemo application process, she was turned away by the doctor. "My dad threw a tantrum beside me, saying he wanted to go home and quit treatment. I couldn't hold him back." Unwilling to let him make the trip for nothing, she swallowed her pride and pleaded with the doctor. Seeing her helplessness, a nearby nurse kindly helped her fill out the application form on the computer.

That day, Lucky hid in a hospital corner and cried her heart out. After venting her grievances and self-blame, she immediately wiped her tears and called a friend for help. "In that moment, I felt so useless, and I pitied my sick father so much," she recalled.

Fortunately, Lucky’s persistence finally brought a small turning point: after the third cycle, her father underwent a contrast-enhanced CT scan. The images showed the tumor had slightly shrunk, though adhesions near the pancreas remained.

At this point, Lucky considered seeking a consultation in Shanghai. "But our family's circumstances didn't allow it. I still had to work, and going to Shanghai would require at least ten to fifteen days. I really couldn't leave," she explained. Following her attending doctor's advice, her father persisted with three more cycles. To the family's great encouragement, the follow-up CT after the sixth cycle showed the tumor had disappeared, finally granting her father a surgical opportunity.

In July 2025, Lucky’s father underwent his second surgery. Professor Chen led the radical resection of the lesion. Postoperative pathology confirmed a pathological complete response (pCR).

Although the surgery was successful, the recovery path remained winding: within the first month post-op, her father suffered from severe gastroparesis. Unable to eat normally, he survived on nutritional fluids alone, losing over 20 jin (10 kg) in just a month, his weight loss visibly apparent.

Fortunately, with active treatment, her father's condition is gradually improving. "From the first failed surgery to earning a second chance through chemotherapy and achieving pCR, the doctors said such opportunities are rare. But if the doctors didn't tell us to give up, why should I?" she reflected.

IV. The Warm Guardianship Behind the pCR Miracle

Since her father's diagnosis, her mother and younger brother's family have handled his daily care and companionship, while Lucky directed his treatment plan. As the eldest daughter and still unmarried, she has shouldered almost all the medical expenses without complaint.

Right after the diagnosis, she had already made a plan. "I roughly calculated that within 300,000 RMB, I'm willing to spend it regardless of the outcome." Though her parents had savings, she refused to touch them. "The older generation feels secure only when they have money in hand. I'd rather borrow some myself than let them worry," she said.

From post-surgery to now, her father continues adjuvant monotherapy with Cadonilimab. Each dose brings fever and fatigue, but his overall condition is steadily improving. Lucky's wish is simple: "First, hold on for one or two years, then three, slowly reaching five, then ten. I believe my dad can do it."

On non-treatment days, her father returns to their rural hometown. Sometimes he cooks for himself, other times he strolls around the house with his grandson. Though he weighs over 20 jin less than before and remains mostly quiet, he can at least care for himself. Lucky drives back almost every weekend, the six-hour round trip carrying her deep concern. "I used to only visit during holidays, but now I want to go back and see him almost every week," she said.

Looking back on the past six months of fighting cancer, Lucky's biggest regret is not taking her father for a check-up sooner. Over the 180-plus days and nights accompanying him through treatment, she was like a tightly stretched string, one end tied to her father's condition, the other bearing the weight of the entire family.

There is no standard answer on the cancer journey. Fortunately, she "didn't listen to others' advice to quit and persevered," ultimately turning the tide against the odds.

A month ago, Lucky joined the Panda Group. Though she rarely speaks in the chat, she reads the messages daily, keeping everyone's experiences in mind. When others ask about treatment plans, she does her best to answer, hoping her family's journey can help more newly diagnosed patients.

"If given another chance, I would definitely consult more hospitals," she reiterated. She also wants to remind fellow patients: "Don't panic after diagnosis. Seek out skilled specialists, visit multiple clinics, ask questions, and seek advice—there is always a way forward."

Lucky recalled her father once telling relatives at a family gathering, "Fortunately, I have a good daughter." But Lucky feels the true fortune is having a resilient and unyielding father.

The wrinkles on the cancer journey have not yet been fully smoothed out, but the wounds that once tore through their lives are slowly being stitched together by family love, an unwavering belief, and relentless courage. Lucky says the road ahead may still be long, but as long as the family stays together, every step forward is a small hope toward healing.

To protect patient privacy, names used in this article are pseudonyms. Images featuring the patient's portrait have been authorized by the patient and may not be used without permission.

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