Sydney hospital rolls out 'miracle' cancer treatment for incurable patients
Two years ago, Tony Jiang was told he had advanced, terminal lung cancer. Today, he is the face of hope for thousands of incurable cancer patients.
The 46-year-old is fighting fit thanks to a new treatment helping to tackle his stage four cancer with the pop of just one pill per day.
"It's a miracle. Sometimes I don't feel like I'm a patient," Jiang said.
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The 46-year-old is fighting fit thanks to a new treatment helping to tackle his stage four cancer with the pop of just one pill per day. 9News
This, he said, is a dramatic turn around from the day he was diagnosed.
He suffered two months of persistent coughing which eventually landed him in a hospital emergency room.
"They didn't think about cancer because of my age, I never smoked, I had a pretty much healthy lifestyle."
Doctor Vanessa Chin at St Vincent's Hospital Medical Oncologist said Jiang's right lung was filled with fluid.
"By the time I'd met him he already had a tube inserted into that lung to drain off the fluid and a biopsy had been performed," Chin said.
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Doctor Vanessa Chin at St Vincent's Hospital Medical Oncologist said Jiang's right lung was filled with fluid. 9News
A tissue biopsy of Jiang's lung was sent off for genetic sequencing. Alterations in his cancer cells meant that he was eligible for a subsidised treatment, and no longer needed chemotherapy or radiation.
"Just taking a tablet, one tablet every day and I'm just back to my normal life," Jiang said.
Jiang's doctor Chin said the tumours on his scans virtually disappeared and that he experienced very few side effects.
"When we do scans it's actually hard to tell that he has anything wrong," she said.
New technology now allows pathologists at Sydney's St Vincent's Hospital to test hundreds of genes in one go – a task that just two years ago was impossible.
Anatomical pathologist Dr Tao Yang from St Vincent's Hospital said the technology used can load 24 patient samples at once and deliver results overnight.
"We can provide cutting-edge technology services to many more patients than we used to."
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New technology now allows pathologists at Sydney's St Vincent's Hospital to test hundreds of genes in one go – a task that just two years ago was impossible. 9News
The team at St Vincent's is now testing the use of blood samples instead of removing small parts of solid tissue for genetic sequencing.
"If Tony needs alternative treatments we usually have a few options for him," said Chin.
Excited to be able to live his life to the fullest, Jiang said he has "a lot of plans" for the rest of his life.
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