“I want to live a wonderful life even with stage four cancer,” said Cincia. At the age of 33, she was diagnosed with advanced lung adenocarcinoma. However, she overcame the four percent survival rate and successfully fought cancer for 10 years. At the same time, she also runs a fan page, publishes books, and gives speeches, serving as a “navigation star” for other cancer patients.
Never Smoked or Drank but Diagnosed With Stage 4 Lung Cancer
In 2012, Cincia, who was only 33 years old, went to see a doctor because of a persistent cough. Unexpectedly, she, who rarely stays up late and never smokes or drinks, was diagnosed with stage four lung adenocarcinoma.Cincia recalled that when she was diagnosed with lung cancer, her tumor looked like a “starry sky” in both her left and right lung lobes. She was therefore inoperable and her only option was chemotherapy.
At that time, she was seriously ill and lying on the hospital bed, feeling very weak. She looked at her mother who was taking care of her and found that her mother’s hair had turned gray overnight due to worry.
“It turns out that the story of Wu Zixu is true,” said Cincia.
Wu Zixu was a Chinese military general and politician of the Wu kingdom in what is known as the Spring and Autumn period (722–481 BC). When he crossed Shaoguan, he was blocked by the river in front and pursued by the Chu soldiers in the back. When Wu Zixu crossed Shaoguan, his hair turned white overnight. It is likely that the lack of sleep and constant high level of anxiety caused the damage to his body.
Cincia was shocked that people really can turn gray hair overnight because they are too worried about one thing. Seeing her mother’s haggard appearance, she also felt sad and guilty.
So she made a wish, hoping that God would allow her to live longer than her mother, even for a second longer, so that her mother would not have to bear the pain of losing a child. At the same time, she also made up her mind to persevere no matter how hard and unbearable the follow-up treatment is.
The Treatment Was Difficult but She Didn’t Give Up
The lung cancer that Cincia suffered from was advanced lung adenocarcinoma. The type of cancer varies from patient to patient, so further examination is required to provide the most accurate treatment.Lung adenocarcinoma falls under the type of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Lee, Kang-Yun, vice president and full-time attending physician of Shuang Ho Hospital in Taiwan, said that advanced non-small cell lung cancer is mainly treated with drugs, including immunotherapy, targeted therapy, and chemotherapy.
The current targeted therapy can provide precise treatment according to the condition of different people, and the proportion of patients who achieve a positive curative effect is as high as 70 to 80 percent.
However, Cincia underwent further tests and found that her tumor type was not suitable for targeted therapy; there was no other option but chemotherapy.
So, she embarked on a grueling treatment regimen of implanting artificial blood vessels, chemotherapy, and thoracentesis, among other things.
Cincia during cancer treatment. Courtesy of Cincia
Although her condition improved for a while after receiving treatment and she was rated as one of “the top 3 patients” by the doctors, her tumor began to show resistance to chemotherapy, and a white turbidity was visible on the X-ray—her lungs were starting to accumulate fluid again.
At the time, the doctor told Cincia that a new targeted drug was seeking clinical trial subjects, and she happened to be eligible, so she could participate in the trial.
“My friend texted me to cheer me up, saying that God must have given me a chance to try the targeted drug because I was very determined,” Cincia said. This gave her the energy to think positively. She wanted to work hard for all the family and friends who cared about her.
After enduring severe side effects such as vomiting, stomach pain, diarrhea, and severe skin allergies for two months, her body gradually adapted to the new targeted drug. She was happy with the results of the treatment. Judging from the CT scans, the tumor had shrunk significantly.
“Life is a tragedy when seen in close-up, but a comedy in long-shot,” Charlie Chaplin once said. Cincia thinks the quote describes her situation very well—it is thanks to her persistence and not giving up that she was able to prolong her life until the drugs that can control her condition was introduced into the market.
The Biggest Change After Being Diagnosed With Cancer Is the Mentality
Cincia thinks that the biggest change after she was diagnosed with cancer is her mentality. She said that she never realized that death was so close. A person’s life is only a few decades long, and there are many things that we don’t need to be so overly concerned about.“We should live in the moment,” said Cincia. She believes that the most important thing is to be happy every day, and do whatever our heart desires. “You can live happily only if you don’t think of yourself as a sick person.”
Cincia, who was suffering from treatment at the time, watched a movie and was inspired by a quote from it: “Cancer cells can end your life, but they can’t stop you from living a joyful life.” At that moment, she was determined to live a fulfilling life.
She made a bucket list with 46 items in total and completed them one by one. Many of them were completed with the help or companionship of her good friends and even strangers, which moved her very much.
Daily Routine for Fighting Cancer
Cincia has made a lot of adjustments to her lifestyle.She used to eat out a lot, but now she minimizes it. Her breakfast is very healthy—just a hard-boiled egg and a glass of vegetable juice. She also pays more attention to exercise—going from occasionally to at least 30 minutes a day.
The following is Cincia’s daily routine for fighting cancer:
Cincia also goes hiking on weekend mornings if possible (no rest in between; about 1 hour up and down the mountain).
| 6:00 a.m. | Take Antrodia camphorata capsule. |
| 6:30 a.m. | Drink clam essence (homemade; about 500g of golden clams; once every two days). |
| 7:00 a.m. | Drink vegetable juice (600ml). |
| 7:30 a.m. | Drink sugar-free soy milk (300ml), and eat one hard-boiled egg (or steamed egg). |
| 7:40 a.m. | Take supplements: basic nutrients, fish oil, coenzyme Q10, selenium yeast, and curcumin. |
| 7:45 a.m. | Go to work. |
| 10:00 a.m. | Take targeted drugs. |
| 12:00 p.m. | Lunch (no limit on food types, but no fried products and processed meat; the meat is mainly chicken and fish). |
| 1:00 p.m. | Take supplements: basic nutrients, fish oil, coenzyme Q10, selenium yeast, and curcumin. |
| 2:00 p.m. | Drink green tea (250 to 300ml). |
| 4:00 p.m. | Eat fruits: half an apple, kiwi, guava, plus two to three seasonal fruits (a total of more than five different fruits). |
| 6:00 p.m. | Leave work and go home. |
| 7:00 p.m. | Eat dinner (normal diet, mainly vegetables and less meat; home cooking uses olive oil and sea salt). |
| 8:00 p.m. | Take supplements: basic nutrients, fish oil, coenzyme Q10, selenium yeast, curcumin, and probiotics. |
| 8:30 p.m. | Exercise for one hour: spinning bike (30 minutes) and Ping Shuai Gong (30 minutes). |
| 9:30 p.m. | Shower. |
| 10:30 p.m. | Bedtime. |
Cincia's cancer-fighting diet (Photo courtesy of Cincia).
Practicing Altruism
One day, Cincia went to the hospital and saw a patient crying outside the clinic, looking very depressed, so she went over to them for a conversation.The patient was told by the doctor that he needed to undergo chemotherapy, and he was terrified. He heard from others that people tend to be fine without chemotherapy, but their condition worsens after they receive chemotherapy.
Cincia told the patient that she was also undergoing chemotherapy, and asked him, “Do you think I seem to be getting worse?”
The patient didn’t believe her at first. However, after Cincia told him that she also had stage four lung cancer and shared her chemotherapy experience, he was relieved, and his eyes changed from worried to hopeful.
“I just felt really happy,” Cincia exclaimed. She thinks she was practicing “altruism.” This kind of happiness is greater than eating a big meal or hanging out with friends.
She began to share some of her stories, journey, and her own condition with other patients through blogging. She even wrote a book about her experience. Cincia hopes that her blog can influence and serve as a guide for other cancer patients.
Many cancer patients were inspired by Cincia’s blog, and some patients gained the strength and courage to survive after reading her book.
“I don’t actually publish books to make money. It is very difficult to make money by writing books nowadays,” Cincia said with a smile, “I feel very happy as long as I can help someone.”
