In Zhejiang Province, China, Yijia Wang headed to his local physician to find out the source of a lower back pain that had bothered him for weeks. Results from a biopsy took several weeks, eventually revealing a diagnosis of collecting duct carcinoma, a rare cancer in the kidney.
Wang’s first round of treatment with a PD1-inhibitor and a chemotherapy called cisplatin caused persistent nausea and vomiting. Wang, a 56-year-old engineer, is a problem solver by nature. So, with rising concern about his treatment, he reached out to St. Lucia Consulting, a Chinese international medical referral company, that has a close partnership with Dana-Farber.
St. Lucia Consulting put Wang in touch with Dana-Farber’s International Patient Center which quickly undertook the complex process of gathering his medical records, organizing them for Toni Choueiri, MD, acquiring a US medical visa, and ensuring financial security. The team also arranged to have his pathology reviewed again by Dana-Farber pathologists to see if anything was missed at the original diagnosis.
“Everything was handled,” Wang recalls. “It relieved a lot of anxiety about this big journey ahead.”
In good hands
It was a long flight, but landing in Logan Airport, Wang was greeted by his son who is working at Harvard Business School. From his first appointment, Wang knew he was in good hands. He recalls that Choueiri took a full hour to discuss his case through a medical interpreter ambassador.
“It was immediately clear that Dr. Choueiri knew my case,” Wang says. “And his humor and personality made me feel at ease.”
Choueiri and his team determined that Wang had a different kind of cancer than originally suspected, called fumarate hydratase-deficient renal cell carcinoma. The findings didn’t end there. Given his young age, Wang’s Dana-Farber team suspected a germline mutation may be the cause of this startling diagnosis. Testing confirmed their suspicions, and with this information, Wang’s relatives will pursue genetic evaluation to see if they are also at risk.
Wang’s rare subtype of renal cancer can be aggressive and metastasize quickly. So, Choueiri wasted no time in starting treatment with a combination of two drugs: erlotinib and bevacizumab, which work together to stop the cancer from growing and even shrink it. Erlotinib is a type of cancer-growth blocker called a tyrosine kinase inhibitor, which works by stopping a protein that encourages cancer growth. Bevacizumab blocks another protein that allows the cancer to grow blood vessels essentially starving the cancer.
Just a few weeks into treatment, Wang reports remarkable improvement in the pain from his cancer and the nausea from his first-line treatment side effects. His first PET scan showed favorable results and he’ll continue on the treatment.
With the easing of his symptoms, Wang has been able to enjoy his visit to Boston heading out on long walks or going for runs. His lodging, organized by St. Lucia Consulting and Dana-Farber’s International Patient Center Concierge Team, is conveniently located in the Longwood Medical Area close to his appointments, and allows him to visit the Museum of Fine Arts and the Charles River.
With his cancer stable, Wang has returned home, where he will continue his treatment while Choueiri monitors his progress through the International Office. Healthier than when he left them, he is now reunited with friends and family.