A grandmother in Utah who only had six months to live after an aggressive lung cancer was diagnosed with her, confused doctors by beating the disease.
Dukhi Hong, 84, was destroyed when she was diagnosed with small cellong cancer in 2019.
Dokers told her that the rare cancer had spread to her brain and her family deleted to say goodbye.
Last week, however, she defended all the expectations to receive her 100th immunotherapy dose.
“It feels like a dream,” the patient News19 born in Korea told the Salt Lake City Hospital, where she has been receiving treatment for the past six years.
The senior also surprised doctors after her last lung scan has returned cancer -free.
“We certainly don't understand everything,” said Dr. Stephan Kendall and explained that it could be the grandmother's immune system that helped her respond so effectively to the medicines.
Immunotherapy is a cancer treatment that uses the body's own immune system to combat carcinogenic cells.
Grandmother in Utah Dukhi Hong (center), who only had six months to live after she was diagnosed with an aggressive lung cancer, has confused doctors by 'beating' the disease
“I have never had a patient who has received 100 doses of any form of treatment, to be honest.”
Although the prospects are promising, Hong is not entirely in the clear year, because small lung cell cancer can be re -performed and more difficult to treat.
The scan also revealed some cancer in the brain, although at an early stage.
“She's doing really well,” said Dr. Kendall.
Hong was first diagnosed with cancer after she was admitted to the hospital after an attack.
“Our whole world crashed,” her daughter, Mitzi Maughan, told KTVX.
But Hong has always been a survivor and managed to make a whole new life for himself in the US after emigration from Korea, while they are seven months pregnant in 1965.
Seven years after her arrival, she became a single mother for her four children.
“It was difficult, but somehow I just lived on,” she explained. “I didn't know how to speak English. I had just learned the ABCs. '
Her resilience has been brought in handy for the heavy fight against her cancer, including monthly treatments for immunotherapy.
Hong, 84, was destroyed when she was diagnosed with small cellong cancer in 2019
She started an intensive course of immunotherapy administered every three to four weeks, which has proven to be extremely effective
Her last scans showed that there is no cancer in her lungs and only minimal cancer in her brain
Although the sessions caused her family fear, they learned to live with their new reality and now use it as an opportunity to spend time with the beloved matriarch.
Her 100th dose was marked with a huge celebration with cake and balloons.
“She's our hero,” Muughan added.
Lung cancer kills more than 127,000 in the US every year, according to figures.
Smoking is the most common cause of lung cancer, according to health experts accounting for more than 70 percent of the cases.
Even people who have never smoked before can also develop the disease, which mainly influences the elderly. More than four of the 10 diagnosis are of more than 75.
There are two main shapes of the disease-noble lung cancer (NSCLC) and small lung cancer (SCLC).
The first is good for eight in ten cases and is a less aggressive form of the disease.
While the last, small lung cancer, is very aggressive and usually spreads faster. The chance of survival is usually lower for SCLC.
Hong arrived in the US while he was seven months pregnant in 1965 and set up a new life for himself
Lung cancer kills more than 127,000 in the US every year, show figures
The most important warning signals of lung cancer can have a persistent cough, such as one that does not disappear after three weeks, or a long -term cough that gets worse.
Breathlessness is another common sign, as well as recurring or persistent breast infections.
Pain and pain when breathing or coughing, pain in your shoulder or coughing up blood are also drawing to pay attention.
