Patient T, 16 years old in Phu Tho, was admitted to the hospital in a condition where a tumor in the left temporal region developed rapidly, was large in size, ruptured, ulcerated and oozed fluid. Previously, the patient had undergone surgery twice in the locality, but the disease continued to recur. Due to extremely difficult family circumstances, although abnormalities were detected many months ago, she only had the opportunity to go to K Hospital for treatment in May 2026.
T's family is classified as a poor household in the period 2022 - 2025, and in 2026 it is a near-poor household. T is the second child in the family, dropped out of school from grade 4 to stay at home to help her parents farm. Unstable income makes it impossible for the family to pay for hospital fees.
On the day of admission, the male patient almost had no money to advance treatment. A doctor provided 2 million VND in advance to complete the hospital admission procedures. After grasping the patient's circumstances, the Department of Head and Neck Surgery coordinated with the Social Work Department of K Hospital to call on philanthropists to support nearly 50 million VND to help him continue treatment and cover living expenses.
At the age of 16 - an age that needs confidence to study, communicate and integrate, T had to live reclusively for many years because of a large tumor on her face. After two surgeries but the disease recurred, she became even more self-conscious and worried.
When the tumor grew rapidly, about 7cm in size, causing facial deformities, T decided to be hospitalized for treatment.
Dr. Ngo Xuan Quy - Head of Head and Neck Surgery Department, K Hospital - said that this is a case of ruptured ulcerated skin cancer that needs early intervention.
If the temporal lobe skin cancer cell is prolonged, it can invade the eye, there is a risk of eyeball removal, seriously affecting the patient's health and quality of life. Therefore, early surgery is necessary to both ensure radical treatment and maintain the aesthetic factor for the patient" - Dr. Ngo Xuan Quy shared.
On May 19, the surgical team including Dr. Ngo Xuan Quy and M.Sc. Tran Duc Toan widely removed the tumor for the patient. During the surgery, the doctors both ensured the principle of cancer treatment and tried to preserve the eyes for the patient.
The defect after tumor removal is regenerated with a scalp rotating flap to ensure aesthetics. Thanks to careful preparation, the surgery took place smoothly, controlling the risk of blood loss well.
After 24 hours of surgery, the patient was awake, recovered well and continued to be monitored for treatment.
Doctors at K Hospital recommend that skin cancer often has signs that are easily confused with common dermatological diseases such as slow-healing ulcers, changes in color or size of moles, rough peeling skin areas, and prolonged nodules or red patches.
People should not be subjective when abnormalities appear on the skin. Early examination at specialized facilities helps detect the disease promptly, increase treatment effectiveness and reduce the risk of severe complications.
