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Lung Cancer

"4 years of lung cancer, a lesson learned at the cost of life: if you miss this opportunity, recurrence and metastasis will follow like a shadow."

时间:2026-04-15 人气:
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"It's been completely removed, why is it still metastasizing?"


This is the heart-wrenching question asked by countless cancer patients after experiencing recurrence and metastasis. Ms. Wang also went through such a process. In 2020, she was diagnosed with lung cancer due to a cough. After successfully completing surgery and chemotherapy, Ms. Wang thought everything had settled down. However, one and a half years after the surgery, she developed abdominal metastasis. Having gone through the ordeal of two major surgeries and chemotherapy, she once despaired.



Although surgery removed visible tumors, it could not eliminate residual cancer cells. Ms. Wang's experience is precisely due to the neglect of immune vulnerabilities during the postoperative window period.      



01              

             

             
Disease Overview

Overview of the illness


September 2020: The patient presented with cough and shortness of breath, and was diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer via bronchoscopy. Immediately after, the patient underwent radical surgery for lung cancer. Postoperative pathology: Considered as intestinal adenocarcinoma with vascular tumor thrombus and lymph node metastasis, followed by four courses of chemotherapy.      

     
July 2022: Only 1.5 years after surgery, a chest and abdominal CT scan revealed multiple enlarged lymph nodes on the lesser curvature of the stomach and in the retroperitoneum, with the most prominent node located at the lesser curvature of the stomach (approximately 17x12mm in size), showing enlargement compared to previous scans and the presence of a necrotic area. Metastasis was considered. A second surgical resection was performed to remove the abdominal lesions. Postoperative pathology revealed metastatic adenocarcinoma in lymph nodes, specifically in groups 1, 3, and 7 (1/5), as well as in the para-aortic lymph nodes (1/1).      



Key turning point: Before fully recovering from the first radical surgery for lung cancer, Ms. Wang, 60 years old, underwent exploratory laparotomy to remove metastatic tumors. These two major surgeries have caused significant physical damage to her body, and she would not be able to withstand the surgical trauma if metastasis were to occur again.      

     
Lehe's Second Diagnosis and Treatment Suggestions

After abdominal cavity metastasis, Ms. Wang learned about Professor Zhang Minghui's vNKT cell immunotherapy at Tsinghua University through a patient support group. After evaluation, the Lehe New Medical team provided the following second diagnosis and treatment recommendations:


1. The pathology of the initial radical resection for lung cancer had already indicated potential risks - vascular thrombi and lymph node metastasis suggest a risk of systemic micro-metastasis; coupled with the continuous impact of postoperative chemotherapy on the immune system, these factors collectively led to the explosive progression of abdominal cavity metastasis.      

   
2. Despite the removal of visible lesions in the abdominal cavity during the second surgery, multiple sets of lymph node metastases (group 1/3/7 1/5, para-aortic 1/1) remain like ticking time bombs. At this point, due to surgical trauma, the patient's immune function is severely compromised, making it difficult for them to tolerate the combined harm of chemotherapy and radiotherapy.      

     
3. At this time, timely follow-up with vNKT cell therapy can eliminate residual cancer cells, activate the immune system, and effectively reduce the risk of recurrence and metastasis.      

     
4. As natural immune cells, vNKT cells exhibit minimal side effects. For patients like Ms. Wang with weakened immune systems, this represents not only the optimal solution for tumor control but also a pivotal turning point towards achieving long-term survival with tumor presence.      

     
Therefore, Ms. Wang initiated vNKT treatment (one course per month) in October 2022 and has completed 26 courses to date. Imaging studies show no new metastasis, and her survival period has exceeded 4 years, with her physical strength restored to a level allowing for daily activities.      


vNKT cell immunotherapy              


NKT cells (Natural killer T cells), are a special T cell subset with both T cell receptor (TCR) and NK cell receptor on their surface. They possess important characteristics of both NK cells and T cells, with dual abilities of non-specific and specific recognition of tumor cells, and can rapidly kill tumor cells. Among the NKT cell subsets, there is a larger and more potent special type of soldier discovered by the experimental team led by Professor Zhang Minghui of Tsinghua University, namely vNKT (Variant Natural Killer T) cells.              


The population of vNKT cells in the body is very small and they are not easily activated. However, once activated, they can effectively eliminate those tumor cells that may remain undetected in the body. Additionally, research has found that vNKT cells exhibit a dual anti-tumor effect. Not only can they directly kill cancer cells, but they also modulate the immune microenvironment within tumor tissues, killing inhibitory immune cells such as MDSCs, breaking the tumor's immune evasion, rebuilding the normal immune system, and further preventing recurrence and metastasis.              

Experimental conditions: In the presence of vNKT cells, after 16 hours, nearly all B16 tumor cells were killed!


02            

             

             

Imaging changes 

Imaging  changes            
     


On March 16, 2022, an abdominal CT scan revealed suspicious small lymph nodes in the lesser curvature of the stomach, measuring approximately 1.3x0.9cm in size;      

     
On June 30, 2022, a follow-up examination revealed that the gastric lesser curvature lymph nodes had enlarged compared to previous findings, measuring approximately 1.7x1.2cm in size, and showed areas of necrosis, suggesting metastasis;      

     
On July 11, 2022, a follow-up examination revealed that the lymph nodes in the lesser curvature of the stomach showed no significant change compared to June 30, 2022, suggesting metastatic tumor;      

     
From October 12, 2022, to March 8, 2024, a follow-up examination was conducted. Compared to the results on July 11, 2022, no significant changes were observed. Please pay attention to the follow-up examination.      

     

The chest CT scan on October 22, 2020 showed a mass-like consolidation shadow with streaks in the left lower lung (4.8x4.0cm);


The follow-up examination on November 9, 2020 showed a mass-like consolidation shadow with a strip in the left lower lung (4.6x3.8cm);

     
From March 16, 2022, to March 8, 2024, follow-up examinations revealed changes consistent with left lower lung lobectomy, with no signs of metastasis in the chest.      



04            

             

       

Conclusion and Review< H83>

Conclusion and Commentary            
What else can we do after the surgery?
After experiencing recurrence and metastasis, Ms. Wang and her family discovered that her treatment could have avoided many detours.

       
Fighting cancer is not about passively receiving treatment, but actively managing risks. Instead of waiting for recurrence in worry and fear, it's better to hold the decision-making power of your life in your own hands.        

    

Don't let the illusion of healing become a breeding ground for recurrence!



Professor Zhang Minghui pointed out that the best time for Ms. Wang to receive vNKT treatment is after her first surgery. At this time, the tumor burden is at its lowest, but the lymphocytes (such as vNKT and CD8+ T cells) in the blood are significantly reduced due to surgery and chemotherapy, causing the immune system to be in a "paralyzed" state. Cancer cells that have broken through into the blood and lymphatic systems take the opportunity to metastasize. If Ms. Wang receives timely treatment after her first surgery, she can reduce the risk of recurrence and avoid a second surgery.


    
Under traditional treatment, the 5-year survival rate for lung adenocarcinoma with lymph node metastasis is approximately 50%. Ms. Wang has been recurrence-free for 4 years post-surgery, and her physical strength, infection frequency, and other indicators have improved, confirming the long-term benefits of immunotherapy.

       
She spent 4 years verifying a truth: Cancer treatment is never just about removing the tumor. Surgery is the starting point, but immune reconstruction is the end goal.




On the road to fighting cancer, you are not alone

         
Lehehuanyou Group: This is a dedicated communication and interaction platform for patients, where everyone shares treatment experiences, disease knowledge, exchanges ideas, helps each other, and works together to overcome illness.        

       
This is not only a community full of positive energy, where members support each other and inspire each other, but also a warm harbor. The topics that patients exchange here are not only about diseases, but also about blessings, greetings, joyful news shared, and even some interesting stories, encouragement, and comfort in life.        

       
Join the Lehehuanyou group and embark on a journey of warmth!



       
         
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Zhang Minghui

Founder of Lehe New Medicine


         

Professor Zhang Minghui, who holds a PhD in Immunology from Tsinghua University School of Medicine, has led a research team for over 20 years since the discovery of vNKT cells in 2002. They have accumulated treatment experience in over 700 cases of solid tumors, covering almost all common solid tumors. The research results fully demonstrate the great value of vNKT cells in the treatment of solid tumors.



It is suitable for post-operative patients with high pathological malignancy or a risk of recurrence; patients whose tumors have been basically controlled but not cured through conventional treatments such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and targeted therapy; patients with persistent high carcinogenic factors; and patients intolerant to radiotherapy and chemotherapy. If these patients do not receive effective follow-up treatment after traditional anti-tumor therapy, recurrence, metastasis, or reoccurrence of tumors will be highly probable. In this case, vNKT cell therapy is an ideal follow-up treatment method that can significantly improve patient prognosis.




Written by: Yizhituan      
Reviewed by: Qiao Jiacheng, Wang Ying, Gao Chen
Edited/typeset by Zhang Jiao      

   

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