To ensure he wasn't mistaken, Chen Feng specifically went to ask his uncle's attending physician. The attending physician replied that it was indeed cancer, confirmed by pathological tissue sampling, and it was advanced-stage cancer.
"Dr. Zhu, have you ever seen a cancer patient who is rosy-cheeked and plump?"
Chen Feng questioned directly.
"Theoretically, no. Most advanced-stage cancer patients are emaciated. However, to determine if it's cancer, you can't just go by appearances; you have to trust science. Your uncle's pathology slides clearly show advanced lung cancer,"
Dr. Zhu stated with certainty.
"Is it possible that the lab test was incorrect?"
Chen Feng continued to probe.
"What? The lab test was incorrect? Impossible, absolutely impossible. Our hospital's cancer cell biopsy testing equipment cost hundreds of millions and was imported from Germany. How could it possibly be wrong?"
Dr. Zhu said with firm conviction.
"..."
Chen Feng was speechless.
Firstly, his attitude as a doctor was problematic.
Doctors, like science and engineering professionals, shouldn't be too subjective; they must be objective.
To subjectively believe that the equipment wouldn't malfunction is excessively self-assured.
Objectively speaking, any equipment has the potential to malfunction.
Secondly, his xenophilia was too severe.
Just because the equipment was imported from Germany, does that mean it couldn't be faulty?
Chen Feng did not continue arguing with the attending physician, Dr. Zhu, and instead returned to the ward.
"Uncle, we're checking out."
Chen Feng said as he packed his uncle Chen Tao's belongings.
"My condition is advanced lung cancer. If I check out, I probably won't live more than a few days. The doctor said if I undergo a few months of chemotherapy, I can live for several years. Don't laugh at me, your uncle is a bit afraid of dying,"
Chen Tao said truthfully.
Chen Feng fully understood his uncle's sentiment.
No ordinary person is unafraid of death.
Many people claim not to fear death, but that's just talk.
When they truly face death, they become more frantic than anyone else and desperately want to live.
"Uncle, you misunderstand. When I say check out, I don't mean stop treatment. If you're sick, of course, you must be treated. However, you don't have cancer, so you don't need treatment,"
Chen Feng explained earnestly.
At the same time, his good impression of Jiangcheng People's Hospital vanished.
He had initially thought Jiangcheng People's Hospital, being the largest public hospital in Jiangcheng, would uphold medical ethics.
He never expected it to be no different from other hospitals.
For the sake of money, they would deceive advanced-stage cancer patients into receiving excessive treatment.
Anyone with even a little medical knowledge knows this.
In advanced-stage cancer, the cancer cells have already spread into the blood and bones. Any treatment is futile and can only increase the patient's suffering.
The treatment courses for advanced-stage cancer are extremely expensive.
Chemotherapy alone costs over a hundred thousand.
Then there are foreign imported injections as supplementary treatment, costing seventy to eighty thousand per shot.
One course of treatment can cost hundreds of thousands, and there are multiple courses.
Such expensive treatments might have some effect on early-stage cancer patients.
However, for advanced-stage cancer patients, they are truly useless.
They only serve to accelerate suffering and death.
Yet, the hospital doesn't care about this; the hospital only cares about draining the money from cancer patients.
They could have simply said, "You have advanced-stage cancer, and there's no point in treatment. Before you're completely incapacitated, go and have fun in places you've always wanted to visit, and leave this world without regrets."
But they didn't.
Instead, they insist on portraying themselves as angels in white, dedicated to health with all their effort.
Not only that, but these doctors also gaslight the patient's family.
They imply that if you give up treatment, you are unfilial.
In China, how many families are financially and emotionally ruined each year because doctors are driven by greed?
After spending a million or so to treat advanced-stage cancer, the result is merely a few months of prolonged suffering, and then the person still passes away.
For wealthy families, a million is understandable.
A million dollars is not a big deal for them.
However, for ordinary families, how can they afford a million?
They end up burdened with debt for life for a few extra months of suffering for their loved one.
If this is what is considered filial piety, then such filial piety is truly unnecessary.
Of course, doctors bear irrefutable responsibility for such tragic outcomes.
They have no conscience when it comes to money.
In China,
In the past, the professions of doctor and teacher were truly noble.
Doctors saved lives and healed the wounded, possessing hearts of parents.
Teachers were considered like fathers for life.
However, with economic development, most doctors and teachers have become driven by greed.
Doctors and teachers are no longer as respected as they once were.
"What? I don't have cancer?"
Chen Tao was stunned.
"Yes, Uncle, I know a little bit of medical skill. Based on observation, listening, questioning, and palpation, you don't have advanced lung cancer. You have a benign tumor,"
Chen Feng said earnestly.
"Chen Feng, can Chinese medicine in China still be trusted?"
Chen Tao asked tentatively.
"Chinese medicine has a history of thousands of years in China, of course, it can be trusted. However, those old Chinese doctors who claim to cure all diseases cannot be trusted. You should trust legitimate Chinese medicine. I have been self-studying Chinese medicine for several years and have gained some insights,"
Chen Feng explained.
"But Dr. Zhu said my pathology test results showed advanced cancer, and I need to start treatment immediately. I was already preparing for my first round of chemotherapy tomorrow,"
Chen Tao said seriously.
"Uncle, absolutely do not undergo chemotherapy. Chemotherapy can kill cancer cells, but it also kills healthy cells. You are a healthy person, and if you undergo chemotherapy, your body's healthy cells could mutate and become cancerous due to the external stimulation,"
Chen Feng advised his uncle.
"..."
Chen Tao's face turned ashen.
According to his nephew's traditional Chinese medicine theory, chemotherapy should not be administered.
If chemotherapy is given, even if it's not cancer, it will become cancer.
However, according to the Western medicine theory of attending physician Dr. Zhu, chemotherapy is necessary, otherwise, after a few days, the cancer cells will spread, and he will die.
Chen Feng saw his uncle's dilemma and understood his feelings.
Nowadays, no one can face the word "cancer" with a calm state of mind.
"Uncle, you've been in the hospital for a few days and have encountered many cancer patients. You should know some of the characteristics of cancer patients, especially those in advanced stages. Think about it, do you have any of these symptoms? Loss of appetite, body aches, emaciation, sleepless nights..."
Chen Feng asked back.
"Come to think of it, I really don't have those reactions. But Dr. Zhu said you can't just go by appearances; you have to trust science."
Chen Tao explained.
"Uncle, people should indeed trust science. However, they shouldn't blindly trust science. Science can sometimes have flaws. We need to carefully discern."
"But the cancer testing equipment at Jiangcheng People's Hospital was imported from Germany, costing hundreds of millions for a single unit. Such expensive equipment, and from Germany, shouldn't be wrong."
Chen Tao retorted.
Chen Feng felt a wave of emotion upon hearing his uncle's retort.
Xenophilia had already permeated the subconscious of every person in China.
As long as something is foreign, it's considered the best.
"How about this, Uncle, I'll take you to the capital. We'll go to the best hospital in China to get another check-up."
Chen Feng went along with his uncle's words.
Since his uncle trusted foreign equipment, they would get a re-examination at a major hospital in the capital.
"Go to the Capital Tumor Hospital? Forget it. I've heard that it's very difficult to get into the Capital Tumor Hospital; you need connections to get admitted."
Chen Tao replied dejectedly.