Good morning everyone. My name is Kathleen David. I am 41 years old, married, with two boys aged 4 and 3, currently on leave from work, and I am living with Stage 4 triple negative breast cancer.

I was diagnosed with early stage (ie, borderline Stage 1B/2A) breast cancer in 2002. I underwent surgery and 6 cycles of chemotherapy, went home with what my oncologist said was a good prognosis, and thrived cancer-free till 2008.

During a routine check-up, my chest xray and subsequent diagnostics revealed that my breast cancer had recurred and metastasized to my lungs (5 tumors in total). So as a good patient I went through another 6 very expensive cycles (composed of 3 sessions each) of chemotherapy and thankfully achieved complete response at the end of it (October 2008). This remission was short-lived, however. In my next routine check-up in March 2009, my chest CT scan showed that my cancer (who I call Spotty) was back in my lungs, and with a vengeance! I had one relatively big tumor, and multiple, uncountable nodules all over my lungs!!! Since I was asymptomatic, I did not panic. I did not hop, skip, and jump when my oncologist recommended chemotherapy again. I used the time to put together a battleplan while strengthening my body with cancer fighting vitamins (given via IV), supplements, and other natural therapies in the meantime.

While I had always taken well to chemotherapy in the past, having minor side effects and achieving good responses, all my succeeding research, experience with doctors of alternative medicine, and my own case facts made me believe that chemotherapy alone was not THE solution to cancer. Yes, I had no problem with chemo in the past, undergoing a total of 24 sessions without a hitch. The problem was: the cancer kept coming back, and with greater vengeance each time! I remembered what a wise man once told me: “What is insanity? Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result!” Besides, I did not know anyone who survived cancer by doing chemotherapy again and again, whether here or in Stanford or in Singapore. I was convinced that another round of chemo would be a one-way ticket on a bullet train to my deathbed. Just as it had been for many of my cancer “batchmates” who have gone before me. And since my will to live was so strong, I set out to find another solution for this, my third round with cancer.

I had already heard about Fuda in 2008 from my best friend Vicky Mendoza, whose dad Luis (or Boy, as many of you might call him) had done so well there, achieving remission after 7 years of battling Stage 4 prostate cancer here. But my family and I were nowhere near ready to consider a hospital in China as a viable option at that point in time. What a big mistake! If I had gone in 2008, I probably wouldn't have “Spotty's Resurrection” to deal with in 2009!!!

So this time, my husband and I did our homework. We consulted the Mendozas to find out more about their experience and soon after went to Fuda for a whole body PET CT scan and consultation. We were shocked and devastated to find out that not only did I have tumors all over my lungs, but also in my brain, eyes, lymph nodes and bones! It was definitely time to take decisive action and send Spotty a strong message.

My doctor at Fuda, Dr. Kong, along with Dr. Niu, recommended a 5-week program entailing 2 local chemos (ie, straight to the lungs via the femoral artery), cryosurgery and brachytherapy for the lung and bones, and immunotherapy. Fuda doctors and my local doctors eventually agreed on whole brain and eye radiation as well.

Yet I vascillated. Going to China would take me way out of my comfort zone… Could I really leave my toddlers for 5 weeks? Who would stay with me in China (my husband had to work!)? How can I afford this? But most of all, what would I eat??? I am a vegetarian and I do not like Chinese food at all! Not to mention, my drive to preserve my life for as long as possible left me no appetite for any kind of risk, not even getting on a plane!

To buy time and out of fear for my blurring eyesight, I decided to do my radiation here. On my last day of radiation, there was a Fuda conference at Vivere in Alabang. So my brother and I went. And we were lucky enough to meet Dr. Xu. He told me that based on my medical reports which he had seen in advance of meeting me and considering that two months had already passed since those reports had come out, they were hesitant to accept me for treatment at Fuda because they wondered if I could even walk, much less get on a flight! He was surprised when he saw me so strong and he said “Please come to my hospital. I have just the thing for you.” And he went on to tell me about the immunotherapy mixed vaccine and showed me pictures and statistics of Stage 4 cancer patients who were still alive after 13 years of receiving it. He told me that his teacher told him that that vaccine was a gift from God. Then I was sold! There it was – clarity and confirmation that this was the right path to take. HOPE GRIPPED MY HEART. It was as though God had spoken to me directly!

From there, my husband and brothers took over and made my Fuda treatment happen. They addressed my every concern and swooped me off to Guangzhou where I received 2 cycles of local chemotherapy (lungs), cryosurgery for my biggest lung tumor and my bone tumor, iodine seeds implantation in the lung and bone, immunotherapy, traditional Chinese medicine and the best part – daily foot reflexology! In just 5 weeks.

I was amazed by the care, concern, and good cheer of the nurses, the friendly helpfulness of the staff, the personal attention and sincerity of the doctors. Despite all my fears about risks posed by every procedure, when the doctors said they wouldn't happen to me, they really didn't. They were true to their word and honest with me all the way. And God's protection certainly was upon me.

I was impressed by their tight monitoring of my condition through frequent bloodwork and physical observation, but most especially by their approach of protecting good cells to the extent possible. For example, unlike chemo patients here who receive mainly pre-chemo support, then post-chemo support on an “as needed” basis, in Fuda, they are proactive in giving post-chemo support. For 3 days after local chemo, you're hooked up to an IV line for about half a day to receive nutrition, and supplements to protect your heart, liver, energy, etc. That's why patients there do not seem weak, they walk around, make friends, and don't have that “chemo gray” skin tone. In fact, many even have rosy cheeks!

That was in August. I went back in October so that we could evaluate the results of the treatment. And here I am today – no more brain tumor, eyesight improved by about 60%, no more active lymph nodes, and the tumors they cryo'ed in my lung and bone are now just scars! My November blood tests also showed that all my tumor markers have gone down and only one is still slightly above normal limits. I still have the multiple, uncountable nodules in both lungs which need further treatment, but for now I am peacefully co-existing with Spotty and will go back to Fuda in January.

Aside from my story and experience, what I really want to share with all of you is this: I believe that among God's greatest gifts to man is the gift of free will. So when you have a choice, exercise it! The Lord honors our heart's deepest desires. Faith TRULY has its rewards. You CAN live with cancer. There is hope, and hope heals. Thank you for listening. I wish you all the best.