KOREA Smat care, smart choice stomach cancer

1. 

   Stomach cancer or gastric cancer is the second most common cancer in the world and the most common cancer in Korea. The cancer was considered a death sentence because it was a disease that could not be eradicated even 30 years ago. With the rapid development of treatment technologies, however, the death rate for stomach cancer has significantly declined.
   The cancer usually occurs between the ages of 40 to 60 and women are twice as likely to contract the cancer than men are. The cancer is divided into four stages based on its stage of development. Detection of stomach cancer in the early stage is vital because a 5 year survival rate is at 95% when it is found at this stage.
   The best way to treat the cancer is gastric resection. Recently, in consideration of the patient’s quality of life after surgery, gastric resections are performed on a minimal part of the organ; while maximizing the function of the remaining sections of the stomach. In the early stage, cancer cells can be removed with an endoscope which results in less bleeding and a faster recovery.
   
   

2. 

   Globally speaking, stomach cancer is the most common in Korea. However, Korea also has the most effective treatment for the cancer. Today, Korea is in the world’s limelight because of its excellent stomach cancer treatment. According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) data published by the Korean government, which is based on publications from other countries, the survival rate for stomach cancer in Korea is at 64.2%, higher than Japan (56.6%) and the U.S. (52.1%). The April 2010 issue of the 『Annals of Surgery』, a world-renowned medical journal, said that the Catholic University of Korea, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital showed a 30% higher survival rate for stomach cancer than the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) in the U.S. The results are from an international joint study on stomach cancer treatments from the two hospitals above. The study also compared a 5 year survival rate of 711 patients treated at MSKCC and 1,646 patients from the Korea Seoul St. Mary's Hospital which showed an 81% survival rate, higher than the 58% found in the U.S.
   
   

3. 

   It is not just statistical data that proves Korea has excellent stomach cancer treatments. Other countries are learning about Korea’s treatment technology. Korea has a high-level of stomach cancer treatment technologies thanks to the continuous competition and research that exist among medical institutions in Korea. Moreover, doctors from other countries visit Korea to learn about its treatment technologies as case after case have proved Korea’s excellent surgical results.
   The anti-cancer treatment that is performed by Korean doctors was registered as a global guideline this June. A joint research team comprised of doctors from the Seoul National University Hospital and the Severance Hospital conducted a 3 year clinical test on an anti-cancer drug (developed by Sanofi-Aventis) that is used after stomach cancer surgery. Patients who were treated with the drug showed a 14% higher survival rate than those who didn’t take the drug and the results were registered as a guideline by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN). The NCCN guideline is the most authoritative reference for countries when they prepare guidelines for diagnosing and treating cancer.

1. Dmitri Lipin (male, aged 38) who works as a seaman for 15 years in Vladivostok, Russia had to stay overseas for a long period of time due to work. He, therefore, had irregular eating patterns which resulted in bloating and stomachaches from time to time. He did not think much about this problem as it was not unusual; and he did not visit a doctor because he wanted to spend time with his family when he got home.
   However, he lost a lot of weight in a few months, broke out in a cold sweat at night and had severe stomachaches. So, he paid a visit to the doctor’s with his wife. He was diagnosed with stomach cancer which he did not expect. He looked into hospitals in Thailand, Israel and Moscow. Finally, he was introduced to Inha University Hospital in Korea by an acquaintance who received treatment there.
   Before he came to Korea, Dmitri made a reservation for an examination and treatment, and when he arrived he received a gastroscopy, PET-CT and bone scan. After a thorough examination, he was told that the cancer had not spread to other parts of his body and that he needed surgery. He received a gastric resection followed by 6 rounds of anti-cancer treatments, after which his white blood cell and platelet levels returned to normal. The PET-CT showed that he was cured without metastasis.
   Currently, Dmitri is working as a seaman again. He said, “After I came back to Russia, I could still check on my condition with my doctor at Inha University Hospital through the phone and email, which made me so relieved. I have fully recovered from the cancer and can work as a seaman again thanks to the hospital’s staff members.”
   
   

2. 

   Inha University Hospital is specialized in cancer treatments. Recently, the hospital was ranked first in stomach cancer, colorectal cancer and liver cancer surgeries as evaluated according to death rates from cancer surgeries by the Korean government evaluation institution. The hospital also recorded the lowest rate of complications. Inha University Hospital is conveniently located for international patients as it is in Incheon where the international airport is located. The hospital runs a medical center that is 560㎡ in size and is within the airport terminal.
   

1. Esa Mohammad Ali (male, aged 70) from Dubai received endoscopic therapy at the ASAN Medical Center to treat his benign gastro esophageal tumor. He took a biopsy after the endoscopic therapy and found that the cancer had spread to his stomach. He was told that he should get his stomach and lymph node removed. However, it was difficult for him to decide whether or not to get the surgery since he was old and was suffering from Evans syndrome (a rare autoimmune disease), diabetes, a chronic liver disorder and high blood pressure.
   He first returned to Dubai to find a world-class hospital that should deliver the best results. He consulted with his doctor at Rashid Hospital, the best hospital in Dubai, which is part of the Dubai Government Dubai Health Authority. But in the end Mr. Ali chose ASAN Medical Center.
   Evans syndrome is an autoimmune disease in which an individual's antibodies attack their own red and white blood cells and platelets. A surgery on a patient with this syndrome can cause excessive bleeding or an infection, so laparoscopic surgery with minimal bleeding and pain is better than a laparotomy. ASAN Medical Center has performed the highest number of laparoscopic surgery for stomach cancers in the world. This is why in the end Ali chose ASAN hospital, for the hospital’s rich experience in performing advanced techniques and for offering excellent care to its patients. The surgery went well and, fortunately, the cancer did not spread to other organs. He is now recovering quickly.
   Mr. Ali said that “it was not difficult for me to choose the hospital because I had experienced the systematic treatment when I had came to the hospital initial to treat my tumor. It was amazing that the surgery left little scarring and the pain was not severe.”
   
   

2. 

   ASAN Medical Center offers excellent cancer surgeries and organ transplants. The hospital has performed the highest number of surgeries for the most common cancers in Korea and treats around 10% of the cancer patients in the nation. More than 300 doctors visit the hospital from abroad to learn about its surgical techniques. ASAN Medical Center runs an integrated treatment system through which internal and surgical specialists treat cancer patients together in a partnership.
   
   
   
   

1. The known methods for preventing stomach cancer can be summarized as follows.
   First, you need to avoid carcinogens such as salty or burnt foods. It is good to have your food as bland as possible and avoid rotten or burnt foods.
   Second, you need to eat enough green vegetables and fruits with Vitamin C. It is important to have enough fresh fruits and vegetables in order to prevent stomach cancer through your diet. People who eat antioxidant-rich green vegetables such as cabbage, lettuce, cucumbers, carrots and bell peppers can reduce the chance of contracting stomach cancer by 50% to 65%.
   Last but not least, it is vital to have regular stomach checkups for an early diagnosis.

 

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KOREA Smart care, smart choice prostate cancer

Recently it was all over the news that Warren Buffet, one of the world's richest man and investment genius, was diagnosed with prostate cancer. Many world-renowned politicians and CEOs including South Africa’s Nelson Mandela, France’s Francois Mitterrand, China’s Deng Xiaoping and Actor Robert de Niro suffered from this cancer. That is why prostate cancer is often called “the cancer of emperors”. These days however, with an aging population, this cancer is commonly found not just in emperors but in ordinary men. There are 40 million prostate cancer patients in the world and the number of prostate cancer patients has increased 7 fold over the last ten years. The prostate is a walnut sized gland in the male reproductive system just below the bladder that supplies fluid to sperms. Men over the age of 50 can develop prostate cancer as the prostate enlarges. Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in the U.S. and is second to lung cancer among cancers in men around the world. Men in western counties have a higher risk of developing prostate cancer in their 50s due to aging, their ethnicity and family history. Besides genetic causes, hormones, eating habits and chemicals such as weedicide are known to cause the cancer. Prostate cancer is easily diagnosed with a simple blood test and a digital rectal examination. As the cancer can be cured when diagnosed early, men over 50 are recommended to get tested.

Prostate cancer has no symptoms in its early stage, but when the tumor becomes large, it puts pressure on the urethra causing urination difficulties, frequent urination and hematuria. A severe pain may also be felt should the cancer cells spread to the bones. Surgery and radiation therapy are used to treat the cancer. As surgery can have side effects such as incontinence and erectile dysfunctions, most patients prefer radiation therapy though it is not free from side effects. The recently developed proton therapy has far fewer side effects compared to other external beam radiotherapies. Radiation kills both normal and cancer cells while protons can target cancer cells only. Only 40 institutions in the world have proton therapy equipment, and Korea’s National Cancer Center is one such institution. The therapy is highly efficient in treating the cancer but it can also be very expensive. However, proton therapy is available in Korea at 1/3 of the price of having the treatment in the U.S. As a result, many patients from abroad visit Korea to get treated.

Mr. Vladimir (aged 59) is a professor at a Russian university. He visited a medical clinic due to his frequent urination which made daily life difficult. He couldn’t get into a deep sleep at night due to increased urination and he had to urinate frequently during lectures and meetings. He thought that it was a minor problem caused by the foods he ate or his lifestyle. However, he was shocked when he found out he was diagnosed with prostate cancer. Mr. Vladimir looked into hospitals in Russia and other countries to seek treatment and he learned that Korean hospitals had excellent facilities and sophisticated medical techniques. He came to Korea to get treatment at the Korea University Anam Hospital. Doctors at the hospital, after conducting an MRI and body scan, said that his cancer has not yet spread to the bones or lymph nodes. As Mr. Vladimir’s condition could be cured with radiotherapy instead of surgery, he received 34 rounds of radiotherapy from July to September, 2010. He went back to Russia and wrote a thank-you mail for the hospital’s excellent medical techniques and kind staff. Six months later, Mr. Vladimir had an examination in Russia and found that his Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) was maintained at a level of 0.7 without the help of drugs. He now has returned to his university as a professor delivering lectures and performing research activities. He appreciates the Korean medical staff saying, “If anything else goes wrong with my health, I will come back to Korea again.”

The International Health Care Center is conveniently located in the lobby of the Korea University Anam Hospital. The hospital established an administrative system customized for international patients with dedicated staff members. The hospital’s website offers information about the hospital in four languages. It has received the Joint Commission International (JCI) accreditation and certification in 2009 and works in partnership with the Nigerian Embassy, Kazakhstan National Emergency Medical Center and the National University of Mongolia.

Douglas Atherley (aged 63, U.S.) was diagnosed with prostate cancer two years ago in the U.S. After a lot of research and agony, he decided to go on proton therapy based on the conclusion that his quality of life would be better than other treatments including surgery. However, there was an obstacle preventing him from receiving therapy in his home country. He said, “I wanted to get the therapy at home but it was too expensive and I had to wait for a long time to get the therapy. So I looked into other countries.” One day, he learned that he could get the treatment at the National Cancer Center in Korea. He recalls that it was the best choice he has ever made in his entire life. Mr. Atherley visited the National Cancer Center in November 2010 and received 39 rounds of proton beam therapy for about two months. His PSA level continuously reduced and his cancer was cured after 9 months. He recently came back to Korea with his family. He was among thirteen international patients who had received impressive cancer treatments in Korea. And they came back with their family members to visit Korea again on June 30. Besides Mr. Atherley, other patients from South Africa, Argentina, the Netherlands, Canada and Sweden also visited Korea.

The National Cancer Center is a government-led medical institution specialized in researching and treating various types of cancers. NCC is the only place in Korea where proton therapy is available. The center has both a Tomotherapy and a Proton therapy facility. Patients will be assisted by coordinators and nurses, specially dedicated to international patients, during their stay. NCC offers a very satisfactory service. For example, patients who received treatment at NCC visit Korea again.

Prostate cancer is found more often in western countries than in Asian counties because of western eating habits. To prevent prostate cancer men should be encouraged to consume less fat and meat and more green vegetables, tomatoes and beans. Among such foods, tomato is the best food for preventing prostate cancer. Lycopene in tomatoes improves damaged DNAs in the prostate and blocks blood from flowing to prostate cancer cells, thus preventing the growth and spread of cancer cells. Men who consume 10 cups or more of tomato juice for 6 years have a 45% less chance of developing prostate cancer. Lycopene is also found in red colored fruits such as grapefruits and water melon, but tomatoes have the highest concentration of lycopene. In addition, beans can substitute meats as they have protein with rich essential amino acid. Isoflavone, genistein and saponin in beans help prevent the development of cancer. Doenjang, Korean fermented soy bean paste, is an anti-cancer food and plastic-wrapped doenjang is easily available at grocery stores or the grocery section of department stores http://www.mediaim.net

Smart care, smart choice Living donor transplantation

Organ transplantation is an operation moving an organ from one body to another, for the purpose of replacing the recipient's damaged or absent organs due to disease or injury. Organ transplant is classified into deceased donor transplantation and living donor transplantation. The kidneys, liver, pancreas, small intestines and bone-marrow can be transplanted and living donor transplantation is performed mostly for the kidneys and liver. As a person has two kidneys, one of them can be removed and only 30% of a liver will grow back to its original size in just three months, so part of a liver can be removed.

Organ transplantation is often called the “centerpiece of modern medicine,” a “composite art,” or the “final piece in the puzzle of surgery.” A successful transplantation requires equal development of all departments such as infectious diseases, gastroenterology, cardiology, surgery, radiology, laboratory medicine, pathology and food and nutrition. In this regards, a country with excellent organ transplantation technique is considered as having high medical technology. Korea has the world’s best techniques in organ transplantation, especially living donor transplantation.

According to organ transplantation data compiled by the WHO in 2008, Korea performed 13.64 living liver transplants per 1 million people, the highest among 96 countries in the world and twice the number of Singapore’s 7.33 cases. Singapore ranked 2nd.
Other data published by the Korean government (Korea Center for Disease Control & Prevention) shows that 824 people donated their livers in 2010, which accounts for 26% out of 3,116 donors in the world. In addition, 77% of liver transplants were from living donors among the total liver transplants, while the world’s average was 15%. Korea also recorded 62% in terms of kidney transplants from living donors, higher than the world’s average of 44%.
In Korea, more than half of the livers (58.6%) were donated by children for their parents. This is a result of Korean culture which values filial piety and respects for parents.
Thanks to such a culture, Korea’s living liver transplant technique which started in 1988 developed substantially though a short history. According to the 2008 yearbook of the Korean Network for Organ Sharing, a 5-year survival rate for living kidney transplants stood at 93.8% and living liver transplants at 77.9%, higher than 80.2% and 68.6% of the U.S. rate, respectively. Currently, around 20 hospitals perform liver transplants and 60 hospitals perform kidney transplants in Korea.

Liver transplant was first attempted in the U.S., Australia and Brazil and flourished in Japan. Today, Korea boasts the best performance in the world. Organ transplants from living donors require highly advanced medical techniques in order to save the lives of both donors and recipients. Korean doctors have built their skills based on excellent dexterity, a passion for study and concentration in a short period of time. In 2005, an organ transplant team from Johns Hopkins Hospital visited Korea for 3-week trainings in living liver transplant. Professor Robert Montgomery from Johns Hopkins Hospital who discovered the surgical technique that resolved the rejection of an organ transplanted from a donor with a different blood type, highly praised Korea’s technique. He said that “Korea has the best living liver transplant technique.” Transplantation takes 12 hours on average in other countries, but it takes only 6-7 hours in Korea.

Fatima Al Ali (female, aged 35) who suffered from juvenile diabetes since she was 6 had to receive a kidney transplant because her kidney function had significantly deteriorated due to frequent hemodialysis and transfusion. Fortunately, the UAE operated a medical system that transfers patients who cannot be treated in the home country to countries overseas for treatment. The UAE government requested a kidney transplant for Fatima at a hospital in the U.S. However, the hospital said “no” because she was a high-risk patient who was likely to reject the transplant given her medical history.
The UAE government also requested the procedure at the ASAN Medical Center in Seoul because of the hospital’s excellent technique in reducing the risk of transplant rejection. The ASAN Medical Center accepted the request and Fatima came to Korea in January 17, 2011 with her brother Khaled Al Ali (male, aged 24). Fatima received various pre-op treatments to reduce the possibility of rejection and underwent surgery on February 1. She recovered quickly from the surgery. She could have normal meals and walk in just one week. She returned to her home two weeks later.
She said that “when I heard that the American hospital could not give me the transplant, I was really disappointed. But, I was not concerned because I was told that the ASAN Medical Center has the best technique in the world. When I return home, I will definitely recommend Korea’s medical techniques.”

ASAN Medical Center in Korea performed the greatest number of living kidney transplants in the world in 2011. In 2011 alone, the hospital performed 202 kidney transplants from living donors. It is the only hospital which operates more than 200 kidney transplants a year for four consecutively years in Asia. The hospital successfully performs surgeries which require a high-level technique and has an intensive patient management system. Coordinators from Japan, China, Uzbekistan and Syria are present at the hospital.

Michael Milne (male, aged 47), an English teacher in a provincial town in Korea was first brought to the emergency room at Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital in September 2011. After that, he received a through medical checkup in December due to repeated symptoms such as difficulty breathing, abdominal inflation, coughing and edema. He was diagnosed with hepatocirrhosis. In his case, the disease progressed faster than normal. He had to get a liver transplant as soon as possible. Otherwise, he could have liver failure and hepatic coma.
His brother Randall (male, aged 43), public official at the Ministry for the Environment in New Zealand rushed to Korea as soon as he heard the news. Randall wanted to offer new life to his brother and decided to offer his liver. Randall was found to have a fatty liver through examination, so he exercised to lose weight before surgery.
Pre-op examination also found that Michael’s blood type was Rh –O while Randall’s blood type was Rh+ O. It was worrisome because different Rh values may destroy red blood cells, but it was confirmed through a thorough test that such a response would not occur.
Finally, they underwent surgery in Korea on December 7, 2011. After a 20-hour long surgery, 70% of Randall’s liver was transplanted to Michael. The surgery was successful. Randall was discharged in just two weeks and returned to home. He said that “I am so happy that my brother regained his health and we can spend New Year’s holiday together in New Zealand with other family members. I expected the worst and decided to stay with him until his last moment. I appreciate the medical staff’s excellent technique. And I also thank the nurses for their hospitality. I could feel their kindness even though we speak different language.”

Since its foundation in May, 2010, the hospital conducted 40 liver transplants for a year and half. With a 96% success rate, the hospital has not experienced a single hepatic artery and biliary stricture, which are common responses among liver transplant patients. Recipients did not have complications as well. As a JCI accredited hospital, it offers a detailed explanation about the success rate, the death rate and the cause of death to international patients who are not familiar with living donor transplantations and checking patients’ health thoroughly.

In Korea, every mountain with fresh air and beautiful scenery has a temple. Recently, temples which focused on religious activities began running temple stay programs for the general public and tourists from aboard. Visitors stay at a temple for 2 or 4 days, eating meals with monks and participating in meditation. Temple stay which allows people to look after themselves becomes popular as the program purifies one’s fatigued body and soul regardless of the participants’ religion.
Korea’s largest temple, Tongdosa Temple. The temple is one of the most famous temples for temple stays and other temples such as Gilsangsa temple in Seoul, Woljeongsa Temple in Gangwon and Donghwasa Temple in Daegu have such programs as well. For more information,

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