My name is 振中, I’m a father of two from Taiwan. I was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2023 after noticing I was coughing out bloody sputum.

I went to the clinic for a cough. After taking medication for 2 weeks without any improvement, I started coughing up bloody sputum. The doctor thought it was necessary to take an X-ray. They found dark shadow of about 3 centimeters, and was immediately referred to another doctor. After my diagnosis, I did look for a second opinion from a more experienced doctor.

After my diagnosis I made the following changes:

• Ate a healthier diet every day
• Exercised twice as much as I used to

I was recommended to do a lobectomy, chemotherapy, targeted therapy and immunotherapy. Then I sought a second opinion for more options I have. Eventually, I opted for a segmentectomy, instead of a lobectomy.

The chemotherapy failed and the cancer cells spread. I was referred to another hospital for immunotherapy. After 5 rounds of treatment, the lung tumor had shrunk significantly, but new tumors grew in the lymphatic area and the liver. My doctor thought that it was necessary to go back to my old doctor for targeted treatment.

I felt much happier after the change. I’m on targeted therapy for half a year now. All the tumors have decreased in size. I relied on traditional Chinese medicine for support as well.

In terms of side effects, the ones that affected me the most were: fatigue, hair loss and loss of appetite.

I didn’t do anything to manage my side effects.

I tried my best to commit to exercising more and eating healthier. For example, I now do regular exercise (intensive jogging for 30 minutes) and 100 reps on the ab wheel. I also upped my protein and vegetable intake, reduced my carbohydrates, and usually go to bed by 9pm-11pm.

Before I knew I had cancer

• Called/texted my parents 10 times a week
• Visited my parents 10 times a week
• Was intimate with my partner 10 times a month
• Went on 3 family trips a year

After knowing I had cancer

• Called/texted my parents 10 times a week
• Visited my parents 10 times a week
• Was intimate with my partner 10 times a month
• Went on 0 family trips a year

I don’t have much plans for the future, as I’m currently under treatment and still under monitoring.

My biggest aspiration is to get over cancer, that all the tumors will disappear, and make my body better. I look for the factors causing cancer in me, change my behavior, eat regularly and sleep regularly. Believe that I can overcome these difficulties. Self-fulfillment is better than God helps or help from others. All the treatments and drugs are just a type of aid. Only by identifying and changing your poor diet, exercise and sleep habits, while supplementing with medication, can you overcome the tumor.

For my loved ones, I wish them a healthy body, and to be able to travel abroad once in a while.

It’s that the cancer would get out of control. What kept me going was believing in myself, that I would be successful and continuing to exercise, eat less sugar and sleep regularly.

Now, I feel quite optimistic. I felt a mix of things, including feeling:

• Confident
• Courageous
• Hopeful
• Inspired
• Thankful

There are 2 tests required for lung cancer, the PD-L1 test and the genetic mutation test. Unfortunately, my PD-L1 was very high at 95, which means that 95% of my immune lymphocytes recognize my cancer cells as normal cells. And my genetic test was even more surprising, because it was MET-14, which is a genetic mutation that causes tumors to spread and grow fast.

Met-14 mutation is rare. I was the first case in both hospitals I went, and most doctors thought that my chance of survival was not high. Therefore, after the third round of chemotherapy failed, I jumped from stage 3A to 4B directly. Then I switched to another hospital to seek immunotherapy.

After 5 rounds of immunotherapy, the lung tumor shrunk in size, the tumors in pancreas and the osteosarcoma disappeared. However, new tumors of about 2 cm grew in the lymphatic area and the liver, so the doctor suggested that I should go back to my old hospital to receive targeted therapy.

During this period, I changed my diet, exercise and sleep habits. I treated myself as if I was back in the army for retraining and cut off all carbohydrates in my diet and only ate proteins and vegetables. The tumor was obviously much smaller in 2 months. Only then I increased the amount of rice by half a bowl in every meal for half a year. The tumors continued to shrink and my doctors even think my survival rate is improving. I was so happy hearing this news.

My advice to everyone is to strictly control visceral fat, sit less and move more. Reduce carbohydrates, don’t eat sweets, fried and processed foods. Regulate sleep habits. These changes can prevent cancer from occurring, and even if you do get cancer, it will also enhance the efficacy of medication.