Gastric Cancer at 29, Total Gastrectomy at 46, Untreatable Widespread Abdominal Lesions at 49: Fighting Cancer for 20 Years, I Met Fate's Heavy Blows with Optimism | Patient Story
On an evening in November 2024, Mr. Wang suddenly developed a bowel obstruction after dining with colleagues.
The situation was urgent, and doctors immediately recommended hospitalization for surgery. However, having already undergone two major operations, Mr. Wang was deeply reluctant to face another laparotomy.
That day, his wife and eldest daughter were present. The doctor gave them a meaningful look and objectively explained the critical nature of his condition and the extreme difficulty of treatment.
His wife’s mind drifted back to 2006, when her husband was first diagnosed with gastric cancer. Doctors had given him only a 20% to 30% five-year survival rate. Over the years, the couple had built a fortress together: he fought on the front lines, while she held the rear guard. For nearly two decades, they proved that even on the brink of collapse, life could still be mended to appear intact.
That day, his wife held his hand once again, just as she had every time they faced an uncertain outcome over the past eighteen years.
「 I. Midnight Hematemesis: Diagnosed with Gastric Cancer at 29 」
Mr. Wang’s first major surgery was in 2006. That year, after being diagnosed with gastric cancer, two-thirds of his stomach was removed.
Even though two decades have passed, his wife still vividly remembers the day it started. “That night, he felt a bit of palpitations. Around 3 or 4 a.m., he suddenly sat up in bed and vomited a mouthful of bright red blood.”
He was quickly diagnosed with gastric cancer and underwent surgery at Beijing Cancer Hospital. Postoperative pathology revealed stage II gastric cancer with lymph node metastasis.
After surgery, Mr. Wang underwent eight cycles of chemotherapy, once every two weeks. The severe side effects nearly drained his body. For a full year, treatment and recovery consumed his entire life.
It was the first time his wife truly confronted “cancer.” As a young couple who had just settled in Beijing, their life was supposed to be full of new beginnings. Their twin daughters were only five months old, marking the most hopeful time for their small family. Especially for Mr. Wang, who had stayed in Beijing after his master’s degree to work in aerospace-related research, this should have been a crucial period for his career advancement. Instead, it was abruptly put on pause.
「 II. Postoperative Intestinal Ulcers: A Favorable Subtype Revealed Seven Years Later 」
After the eight chemotherapy cycles, Mr. Wang developed intestinal ulcers. His condition fluctuated, and for years afterward, he frequently traveled to the hospital for treatment and follow-ups, yet the issue was never fully resolved.
In 2013, he visited Peking Union Medical College Hospital. By then, seven years had passed since his initial diagnosis. The attending doctor was surprised by his remarkably good prognosis and suggested retrieving his original pathology slides from Beijing Cancer Hospital to retest them with current medical technology.
The pathology results showed that his original cancer subtype was EBV-positive, a relatively milder category of gastric cancer.
The long-delayed test results finally put the family’s anxious hearts at ease. Under systematic treatment at Peking Union Medical College Hospital, the intestinal ulcers that had plagued him for years finally healed.
After overcoming the first major health crisis, Mr. Wang’s life gradually returned to normal. Over the years, he consistently maintained a regular routine: no smoking, no drinking, no staying up late, and he continued his long-standing hobby of playing badminton.
Time moved forward steadily. Except for an annual follow-up call from Beijing Cancer Hospital reminding him to get a gastroscopy, which briefly pulled him back into his identity as a cancer patient, his days were no different from anyone else’s.
By 2016, the follow-up calls from Beijing Cancer Hospital also came to an end. The hospital informed his wife that, according to their standards, Mr. Wang had achieved clinical remission and would no longer receive follow-up calls.
By the eleventh year, the calls indeed stopped.
“I completely understand the hospital, but to be honest, I wish we could keep receiving those reminders,” his wife later said.
Without the reminders and feeling no discomfort himself, coupled with normal tumor marker results from his company’s annual check-ups, he stopped proactively scheduling gastroscopies and colonoscopies.
“He has always been like that,” his wife said. “He has a low pain threshold, a resilient personality, and is used to enduring hardship. He never rests for a cold or headache, and he toughs out any abnormalities, never wanting to trouble others. Perhaps it’s because he endured hardships in his childhood.” This personality helped him weather many storms, but it also led him to ignore certain bodily signals.
「 III. Cancer Cells Spread Throughout the Abdomen, Tumors Compress Organs 」
In June 2022, Mr. Wang felt discomfort in his stomach and went to Peking University International Hospital for a gastroscopy. The report confirmed his intuition: “The condition is not good.”
In February 2023, Mr. Wang underwent his second major surgery. The remaining one-third of his stomach could not be saved and was completely removed.
Before surgery, based on the sensitivity of his “HER2” markers, doctors designed a regimen of over twenty radiotherapy sessions and two chemotherapy cycles, which successfully shrank the lesions. After surgery, he received two additional chemotherapy cycles as planned, but had to pause due to physical intolerance.
The setback came even more swiftly. In November 2024, Mr. Wang suddenly developed a bowel obstruction. Colonoscopy and PET-CT scans revealed that this was not a primary intestinal disease, but rather abdominal tumors compressing the intestines and bile ducts. The cancer cells had already spread extensively throughout the abdominal cavity.
To temporarily relieve his symptoms, doctors inserted a biliary stent. However, with only about a one-centimeter passage left in his intestines, eating became a major challenge.
His wife took him to multiple hospitals, including Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing Cancer Hospital, and Peking University International Hospital. After weighing various treatment plans, they ultimately chose a fully self-paid ADC regimen at Peking University International Hospital.
After several cycles, his white and red blood cell counts remained consistently low. Follow-up results presented a puzzle: tumor markers had dropped, but the lesions on the imaging scans remained stubbornly unchanged.
After consulting multiple experts, Mr. Wang’s strong desire to surgically remove the lesions was completely extinguished.
「 IV. Repeated Obstructions Force an Ileostomy 」
Bowel obstructions became increasingly frequent. In March 2025, Mr. Wang was admitted to PLA General Hospital (301 Hospital) due to another obstruction. After careful consideration, he decided to undergo an ileostomy surgery.
At that time, his younger daughter was preparing for the college entrance exam (Gaokao), with only three or four months left. His wife wanted the surgery done quickly so he could be there for her. She approached Dr. Wu at Beijing Cancer Hospital with a single request: “I just hope my husband can accompany our daughter through the Gaokao. I have no other demands.”
Eighteen years ago, during Mr. Wang’s first surgery, Dr. Wu was just a young assistant on the surgical team. Time had passed, and that assistant had become a renowned expert in the field. Knowing the surgery carried extremely high risks and could not cure the disease, he understood a mother’s and wife’s plea. Despite some hesitation, he ultimately took on the case.
Dr. Wu was straightforward: “There won’t be significant improvement after surgery; it will just allow your husband to eat something.”
On March 28, 2025, during the ileostomy surgery, Dr. Wu found the situation worse than expected. There were no distinct solid tumors in the abdominal cavity, but the tissues were extensively adhered and hardened, like an unpeelable rigid plate. Fearing liver damage, deep exploration was impossible, and the surgery was limited to intestinal anastomosis and stoma creation.
In the month following discharge, due to improper diet, eating too fast, and insufficient chewing, Mr. Wang experienced three more bowel obstructions.
Meanwhile, his biliary stent expired, and his skin remained persistently yellow. After evaluation by doctors at Peking University Third Hospital, they firmly refused to place another stent and strongly recommended external drainage. For someone who had just received an intestinal stoma, adding an external drainage tube would drastically reduce his quality of life.
“While waiting for hospitalization, he had another obstruction, but the doctors at Peking University Third Hospital still refused to place a stent. After consulting others, everyone agreed external drainage was safer.” Ultimately, on April 10, Mr. Wang underwent PTCD external drainage catheter placement.
[ Mr. Wang accompanying his younger daughter to the Gaokao ]
「 V. Lesions Remain Unchanged: Deciding to Stop Medication After Careful Consideration 」
After surgery, Mr. Wang continued with the ADC combined with Envafolimab regimen. However, after five cycles, the disease progressed. Subsequently, based on his CLDN18.2 positive expression (up to 90%), doctors switched his regimen to nab-paclitaxel + zolbetuximab. From July to October 2025, he completed three treatments. By late December, follow-up scans showed the lesions remained stubbornly unchanged.
His wife began searching for clinical trials to enroll him in. However, because he had “no distinct solid lesions,” he did not meet the enrollment criteria. Reality closed another door.
During that time, reason told her that Mr. Wang’s body was already extremely frail. Even if enrolled, his body might not withstand the intense new drug trials.
Approaching the Spring Festival, Mr. Wang proactively suggested stopping anti-tumor treatment.
His wife understood. Long-term treatment was costly, had limited effects, and his body could no longer endure repeated damage. Mr. Wang’s decision was not giving up, but a rational stop-loss.
In February 2026, a follow-up contrast CT showed the lesions were unchanged from before. They took the scans to multiple experts in oncology, surgery, and hepatobiliary medicine, who all gave nearly identical advice: continuing treatment would only cause more damage. Since he currently had no significant discomfort, it was better to pause.
The attending oncologist said something that would stay with her forever: “At this final stage, it’s hard to truly balance which option is better. Whether to treat or not depends entirely on your attitude. You have to make this call yourselves.”
These words handed the choice back to the patient and family. The doctors had done everything they could; the remaining path had to be walked alone.
「 VI. Sudden Splenic Abscess: Navigating Multiple Hospitals for Puncture and Drainage 」
In early April 2026, a new red flag appeared. An ultrasound indicated a splenic abscess. Initial medication brought some relief, but two weeks later, the condition fiercely rebounded. His temperature soared above 39°C, accompanied by chills and convulsions.
On April 22, the infectious disease department at Peking University International Hospital recommended immediate IV antibiotics to control the infection. Mr. Wang resisted hospitalization, insisting on taking medication at home. “He didn’t want to stay in that environment,” his wife understood. But that night, a high fever returned, accompanied by shock symptoms, and he was rushed to the emergency observation ward.
The next day, a splenic abscess was confirmed. Peking University International Hospital could not handle such a complex complication, so they transferred to Peking Union Medical College Hospital. After a day in the resuscitation room, his temperature remained uncontrolled, and without interventional ultrasound capabilities, puncture drainage was impossible. Finally, they arrived at the Interventional Radiology Department of Dawanglu Emergency Hospital, where the splenic abscess puncture and drainage were successfully performed.
During those days, his wife watched him receive blood transfusions and albumin infusions. His body was like a repeatedly wrung-out sponge, slowly regaining a bit of elasticity.
Dawanglu Emergency Hospital mostly housed critically ill elderly patients. The environment was noisy, filled with the scent of decline. Mr. Wang couldn’t stand it and firmly requested discharge. “I don’t want to stay here anymore.”
After discharge, he continued taking levofloxacin and cephalosporins. Due to a severe gastrointestinal allergy to levofloxacin, he stopped it and continued only with cephalosporins. A follow-up ultrasound two weeks later showed the abscess had shrunk from “the size of a date pit to a leek leaf.”
As soon as his health slightly improved, Mr. Wang proactively returned to work. The first week involved sporadic tasks, the second week saw regular attendance, and by the third week, he was back to his normal work schedule. He possessed the rationality and stubbornness typical of a researcher; as long as he could move, he refused to admit he was a patient.
「 VII. Twenty Years of Illness Forced Personal Growth 」
The life trajectories of Mr. Wang and his wife were like two intertwining vines climbing upward.
Before his illness, his wife’s life was orderly, stable, and smooth. The moment he was diagnosed, she suddenly realized, “From now on, I might have no one to rely on. I have to start fighting for myself.”
This sense of crisis sparked an almost explosive growth. She began learning English and taking management courses. “I tried little by little, and eventually reached the top.” In 2017, when she hit a career ceiling, she chose to start her own business to gain more financial independence and time freedom. Today, her income is decent, and she finally controls her own schedule. This became a crucial foundation during their twenty-year cancer marathon.
Mr. Wang’s career advanced in parallel. In 2017, he changed departments, and his workload increased sharply, alongside his technical skills. Though not in a high administrative position, professionally he “basically reached the peak.” In 2022, he was promoted to researcher. Even while battling illness, he never left the front lines. Last year, despite frequent fevers, he took fever reducers to work overtime on urgent projects and even published a paper in a core journal.
His workplace knew about his condition. Leaders showed him great leniency, but during critical technical breakthroughs, he still stood his ground and took shifts.
“He’s the kind of person who, as long as he can stand, refuses to lie down,” his wife said. Even after the intestinal obstruction, he insisted on playing badminton. With a stoma bag and drainage tube limiting his movement, he only played at the front court. “Just having fun is happy enough.” This year, he set up a badminton net in his living room to play casually with family for entertainment. After his body adapted, he returned to the company court.
“When something happens, he might feel down for a while, but he gradually adjusts himself back to a normal state. That’s what I deeply admire about him,” his wife said.
「 VIII. Illness Cannot Mask an Optimistic Core 」
After the recurrence, his wife once vented in a study group. A friend’s reply woke her up:
“Your brother-in-law has been fighting this for nearly 20 years. He must have thought about this more clearly and long-term than you. If he can remain so optimistic and sustained by his beliefs, why are you so anxious?”
She was stunned. Mr. Wang wasn’t unaware of his body’s alarms; he simply chose not to voice them.
Once, a close friend visited and, perhaps sensing time was short, bluntly asked the taboo question: “Have you ever thought about how much time you have left?”
Mr. Wang paused, then answered calmly: “I’ve been through several major surgeries, stayed in the ICU, and signed critical illness notices. What expectations do I still have for myself? Just let nature take its course.”
His wife realized that Mr. Wang’s heart was like an iceberg, showing only its calm surface above the water. “He wants you to see only his stable side. He can hold immense things inside and take care of everyone.”
Around his 2022 surgery, he suddenly mentioned, “Should I write a will? The kids are grown, the elders are still here, to avoid unnecessary trouble.” His wife agreed. But he dropped it after saying it. Years later, as his condition fluctuated, he brought it up again, saying he would transfer the house and get it notarized later. Then, silence again.
“I think he’s relatively optimistic about his situation, but he plans very far ahead,” his wife said.
She once tested him. Half-jokingly, she asked, “While you’re clear-headed, is there anything you want to pass on?”
“Nothing much to say.” He waved his hand. “I actually don’t want to tie you down. You’re still young, your future is free, and you have many choices.”
「 IX. Daughter Recommends the Panda Group to Avoid Ineffective Treatments 」
The year Mr. Wang first fell ill, his wife had just returned to work from maternity leave. Today, their twin daughters are 20, unfolding their own lives in university.
As his condition grew critical, the two girls stepped to the front lines, becoming capable helpers. They handled shopping, meal ordering, and renting apartments near the hospital. Watching their busy backs, the parents suddenly realized their children had grown up.
[ Mr. Wang setting off fireworks with his daughter in their hometown ]
In 2024, with his prognosis unclear, his eldest daughter said, “Mom, we can’t just go on like this. We need to find a way.” Overwhelmed by despair, his wife retorted, “What way is there?”
Refusing to accept fate, his daughter found the “Panda Group” on Xiaohongshu. “I was skeptical at first and asked her, ‘What’s the use of joining a group?’”
In 2025, his wife saw online ads for expensive stem cell therapies at private hospitals. These ads acted like bait for desperate families. She was tempted, but given the cost of over 100,000 RMB, she hesitantly asked in the group.
The members’ replies gave her a cold sweat. “I didn’t expect the group to understand this so thoroughly,” she said with lingering fear. “If I hadn’t asked in this group, I might have wasted over 100,000 RMB.”
Since then, his wife became a deep user of the Panda Group. She joined the peritoneal group, stoma group, and based on her experience, the CLDN18.2 targeted therapy and genetic testing groups. She transformed from a lurker to an active information sharer. In this virtual space, she found her peers. They warmed each other, corrected each other’s paths, and acted as lighthouses in the unknown waters of medicine. It made her realize that in this long war, they were not alone.
「 X. Living Month by Month, with a Grateful Heart 」
Now, the Wang family lives life “month by month.” “I do a ‘monthly review’ every month,” his wife explained. “We made it through this month smoothly. I am truly grateful, thankful that heaven allowed us another peaceful month.”
“I am truly content, and I can accept everything that happens.” Her mindset has been polished smooth and strong. During a recent stoma check at Peking University International Hospital, the doctor praised him: “Look how well you’ve maintained your stoma.”
Hearing this, his wife felt a wave of warmth. She is deeply grateful to Dr. Wu at Beijing Cancer Hospital, Dr. Yao at Peking University Third Hospital, and all the doctors who have treated Mr. Wang.
“We’ve far exceeded expectations,” she said. Last year, she only hoped he could see our younger daughter through the Gaokao. Now, she is about to start her sophomore year.
For the days ahead, she holds no grand expectations. She no longer counts the remaining days. She only hopes he is free from pain and suffering, that his quality of life is preserved. As long as he can sit at the dining table for dinner and eat a bowl of hot rice, these twenty years of storms have not been in vain.
Life goes on, and that is enough.
To protect patient privacy, names in this article are pseudonyms.
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