The Enhanced Doctor-Chapter 717 Esophageal Cancer

"Teacher Liu, the diagnosis has been confirmed. My patient has esophageal cancer, late-stage."

Liu Banxia was reviewing medical records when Miao Rui walked over.

DING! Consultation task completed. Earned 200 experience points, +1 Glory Point.

"Where is the patient? Have you informed him yet? Was it diagnosed by an esophagoscope or CT?" Liu Banxia asked.

"Esophagoscope. Multiple tumors were spotted in the esophagus. This matches what was observed in the barium meal X-ray, suggesting the cancer may have spread," Miao Rui replied.

"However, I haven’t spoken to the patient yet. He already has a hunch. Teacher Liu, I’m not sure how to explain it to him."

"Alright, I’ll go. It’s not that you’re scared to explain it to him; it’s just difficult to bring yourself to break such news to a patient," Liu Banxia said.

"Our first choice would naturally be to speak to the patient’s family. But his immediate relatives aren’t here, and he has some awareness already. Furthermore, since he’s already in the late stage, do we still need to continue withholding the truth?"

"Even if we choose to conceal it, as soon as we ask him to have his family come over, he’ll understand. It’s often portrayed on TV: any instance where family members are asked to come in but are told not to disclose the patient’s condition usually signals trouble."

Miao Rui nodded. Although he understood Liu Banxia’s words, he still lacked the confidence to deliver the news to the patient himself.

Seeing Liu Banxia approach, the patient said, "Doctor, I have cancer, don’t I? Don’t try to hide it from me. If it wasn’t serious, you would’ve told me straight away and wouldn’t have needed a senior doctor like yourself to come."

Liu Banxia nodded honestly. "Yes, it’s confirmed as esophageal cancer. As for the subsequent examinations, the decision is entirely up to you."

"Based on our current examination results, it has already spread. But we can’t be certain exactly where or to which organs it has spread without further tests."

"And considering the distribution and appearance of the tumors in the esophagus, it has reached the mid-to-late stage. Surgery would be of limited value. Can you come to terms with this?"

The patient looked at Liu Banxia expressionlessly, then forced a smile. "Doctor, whether I can come to terms with it or not, I’m going to die anyway, right? How much longer do I have?"

Liu Banxia hesitated for a moment. "The specifics require a laboratory pathology report for a proper assessment."

"Can I live for another year?" the patient asked hopefully.

"It’s really hard to predict with this kind of illness. It develops differently in each person. If I were to make a rough guess, it would only be an inaccurate answer," Liu Banxia said.

"Miao Rui, pour this gentleman a glass of water. Let him think things over." As Liu Banxia spoke, he gestured with his eyes to the patient’s coworker standing nearby.

The patient’s coworker followed Liu Banxia aside and asked, "Doctor, does Old Zhao not have much time left?"

Liu Banxia nodded. "Perhaps three to six months."

The patient’s coworker sounded resentful. "Sigh... you should have hidden it from him, so he could at least live his remaining days a bit more happily."

"We wouldn’t be able to hide it for long anyway," Liu Banxia said. "It’s better to use this time to let him eat whatever he wants and see whatever he wants to see."

"If there were only one tumor, more detailed examinations would be more meaningful, and we could even consider surgical intervention."

"But his tumors are diffuse now; there are many of them, and they’ve been spreading for quite some time. The timeframe I gave you was already leaning towards the optimistic side."

"Esophageal cancer is common in our country, especially in men over forty. Besides exposure to chemical pollutants in certain occupations, other triggers include drinking low-quality alcohol or drinking excessively, and habitually eating overly hot food."

"I don’t know much about his financial situation. However, considering his age, the fact that he’s still working on construction sites, and his concern about the cost of examinations, it’s unlikely he’s well-off."

"So, my personal advice is to let him eat as much as he can during this final period, and the sooner, the better. As the disease progresses, the symptoms will worsen rapidly. Soon, he’ll find it hard to swallow coarse, fibrous foods, then liquids, and eventually, the tumor will completely obstruct his esophagus."

"What? You mean Old Zhao will starve to death in the end?" the coworker asked, shocked.

Though the truth was harsh, Liu Banxia nodded. "Because the esophagus is in a particularly vulnerable location, and his tumor originated there."

"Even though it has spread, the tumors in other locations haven’t developed as rapidly as the one in his esophagus. So, the esophageal tumor itself will likely be the fatal one."

"That’s generally the situation. But I can’t tell him all of this directly. If his family members can come, I’ll explain it to them. If not, I’ll have to ask you to help relay the message."

The patient’s coworker sighed. "Sigh... Old Zhao has worked hard his whole life. How could he end up with such a terrible disease?"

"It just means we all need to be mindful of our diet, especially with alcohol. No matter how much one craves it, never buy inferior spirits," Liu Banxia said.

"And then there’s our eating habits. We often think food tastes best when it’s piping hot. Even if it burns our mouths, we still enjoy it."

"In reality, every time overly hot food passes down the esophagus, it damages the lining. Over time, this cumulative damage can lead to cancer."

"That’s pretty much it. Please keep a close eye on him during this time. You two have a good relationship; he might listen to what you say."

After saying this, Liu Banxia returned to his seat. He had conveyed everything that needed to be said; there was truly nothing more he could do.

"What’s wrong? You seem a bit down," Shi Lei observed, leaning closer.

"Just diagnosed a case of late-stage esophageal cancer. Did you just finish surgery?" Liu Banxia asked.

Shi Lei nodded. "Yeah, went straight to the canteen after I got out of the OR and grabbed a quick bite. I need to rest for a bit. You handle any emergencies that come up, alright?"

"Don’t worry, consider it handled. Everyone’s been working really hard these past few days," Liu Banxia affirmed.

"When are we scrubbing in for more surgeries?" Shi Lei asked.

"I can’t keep up that kind of pace. I still need to compile the training plans for the other departments in the next two days. In just over a month, I’ll be stepping down as chief resident. Who do you think should take over here, Wang Chao or Qi?" Liu Banxia asked.

"What’s the director’s take on it?" Shi Lei furrowed his brow.

"I haven’t asked him yet, but I don’t think the director will particularly mind either way. He did mention before that I should keep an eye out for a successor," Liu Banxia replied.

"Originally, I was leaning towards Wang Chao. After all, being chief resident in admissions would provide invaluable experience. But now he’s busy with Brother Hui and Brother Huan at the fecal transplant center, and I’m worried he’ll be overworked."

"Moreover, when it comes to handling emergencies and surgeries, he’s not quite as adept as Qi Wentai. So, I’m thinking of recommending Qi Wentai. What are your thoughts?"

Shi Lei nodded. "It’s much the same, really. They’ll need to assign someone to the upstairs department eventually too, so Wang Chao going there would work out well."

"You’re always worrying about others. You need to focus on your own affairs too. Otherwise, all this hard work will be for nothing. Chen Xuehai even asked about you the other night when we were in surgery."

Liu Banxia gave a wry smile. "Sigh... To be honest, I don’t have a clear idea about my own situation. If I take the promotion, it sounds prestigious. But if I don’t, I can spend more time at home with Qiaoqiao."

"Now that she’s pregnant, she really doesn’t want me working overtime so much. I miss my wife too. By the time I step down as chief resident, she’ll probably be starting to show."

"I suggested she have her prenatal checkups here, but she flatly refused. She doesn’t want me involved, so I have to respect her wishes."

"Anyway, let’s not talk about me. How are things going with Su Ying? This is the first time I’ve seen you so determined to take time off. If you feel she’s the one, you should arrange for the parents to meet soon."

Shi Lei chuckled. "It’s going pretty well, I suppose. Given my circumstances, I can’t be too picky. As long as she’s family-oriented and doesn’t mind my demanding job, that’s good enough for me."

"But we haven’t known each other for very long. Isn’t it a bit too soon to meet the parents? Even you and Qiaoqiao dated for a long time before that step, right?"

"Your situation is different from ours. You’re quite a bit older than me, after all. Shouldn’t you be trying to move things along a bit faster?" Liu Banxia said.

"As long as your personalities are compatible, I don’t see any issue. Besides, it’s not like you’ll be the one calling the shots at home in the future, so what’s there to resist?"

"Meet the parents soon, date a bit longer, and your new apartment should be ready by then. Then you can register the marriage, get married, have a baby – you need to pick up the pace too!"

"That esophageal cancer patient today really affected me. He was an emergency admission, not from around here. Since he was in the late stages, I told him his prognosis directly."

"We often think we have all the time in the world, but that’s just not true. Time flies by, and before you know it, so much of it is gone."

"Although telling him directly was harsh, at least for the time he has left, he can eat and drink whatever he likes and hopefully have fewer regrets."

"I didn’t even recommend further tests for him. The money saved can buy a couple of good bottles of wine. Let him enjoy himself one last time. I actually suspect his esophageal cancer was caused by drinking cheap, potent liquor for years."

Shi Lei nodded in understanding. "Sigh... sometimes that’s just how it is. In the final moments of life, it’s best to enjoy what you can."

He agreed with Liu Banxia’s approach. Regardless of the type of cancer, its progression in the terminal stage is always swift.

Oftentimes, when family members withhold the truth, it doesn’t necessarily mean the patients themselves are unaware. Rather, the patients might also be deceiving themselves, unwilling to accept the reality.

For some people, being told their condition directly might cause them to live in constant fear. For others, however, it allows them to make full use of their remaining time and minimize any potential regrets.