"The tumor is too large and has infiltrated the intracranial brain tissue. The portion that needs to be removed is extensive. If we want to perform a comprehensive removal, the contents of the eye socket and part of the surface brain tissue must be excised."

Li Haiyang shook his head slightly and said.

"So, if the tumor cannot be reduced, there are no surgical indications."

Hearing Li Haiyang say this, Zhao Heng frowned and said.

"Yes, that's the current situation. I suggest transferring to my side and starting chemotherapy."

Li Haiyang thought for a moment and said.

Logically, patients with such a malignant tumor should also be transferred to the oncology department.

"Chemotherapy is the same wherever it's done. Let's keep her here for now."

Zhao Heng said. A malignant tumor is something he still cannot handle, but he won't just give up because he knows that if only chemotherapy is done, this girl's survival time would be at most around three months.

For a 13-year-old girl in the prime of her youth, this is too cruel.

"That's true. I'll draft a chemotherapy plan later. Let's treat her according to this plan first, at least to delay the infiltration and growth of the tumor cells."

Hearing Zhao Heng's words, Li Haiyang thought for a moment. It seemed to be the case. Even if the patient is transferred to the oncology department, chemotherapy will still be carried out. If she doesn't transfer and does chemotherapy here, it is essentially the same.

"Dr. Li, is there a possibility to conduct biological therapy for the tumor alongside chemotherapy? This way, perhaps the tumor can be reduced to meet the surgical requirements."

Zhao Heng pondered for a moment and suddenly realized that the Cell Fate Regulation technique he learned from Professor Li Hongwei includes branch techniques for culturing and expanding somatic cells, which aligns with the requirements for tumor biological therapy, doesn't it?

Tumor biological therapy actually refers to the use of biotechnology and biological products to culture and expand immune cells collected from the patient's body outside the body, then reinfuse them into the patient's body to stimulate and enhance the body's own immune functions, thus achieving the purpose of treating the tumor.

"It's certainly good to conduct tumor biological therapy, but I don't think our hospital has developed this technology."

When Zhao Heng mentioned tumor biological therapy, Li Haiyang's eyes lit up. Tumor biological therapy is an emerging method for treating tumors, very cutting-edge, and still largely in the experimental stage.

"During my time working with Professor Li Hongwei, I learned some techniques for Cell Fate Regulation. This technology includes branch techniques for culturing and expanding somatic cells."

Zhao Heng said.

"Huh? Cell Fate Regulation? Dr. Zhao, you've been with Professor Li Hongwei for less than two weeks and have already learned such difficult techniques?"

Hearing Zhao Heng say this, Li Haiyang certainly wouldn't doubt whether Zhao Heng has mastered the advanced technique of Cell Fate Regulation. Whether mastered or not, a test would reveal it.

What surprised him was Zhao Heng's incredible learning ability.

"I've only mastered part of it, but it's enough to use for somatic cell culture and expansion. If tumor biological therapy is performed alongside chemotherapy, it might be possible to inhibit the tumor's rapid growth or even reduce it, allowing for surgery."

Zhao Heng said.

"It's already impressive to have learned a part of it."

"Leave the chemotherapy part to me."

Li Haiyang looked at Zhao Heng with great admiration and said.

Zhao Heng's abilities once again refreshed his perception.

Next, Li Haiyang went to prepare a chemotherapy plan, while Zhao Heng sought out the uncle.

"Dr. Zhao, how is it? Can Miaomiao undergo surgery?"

The uncle asked anxiously.

"At present, there are no surgical indications. However, combining biological therapy and chemotherapy still holds hope to reduce the tumor to meet surgical requirements."

Zhao Heng deliberated and said.

At times like these, one cannot overcommit, but also cannot take away all hope, so it is crucial to measure the way of speaking.

Any excellent doctor is also very adept at communicating with patients and their families.

"Sigh..."

Hearing Zhao Heng say this, the uncle let out a long sigh. At least there is hope for treatment, unlike the previous hospital they visited, where the implication was for them to return home directly.

"Thank you, Dr. Zhao. We will not give up on treatment. If there's any chance, please ensure to try. I beg you!"

The uncle paused and said sincerely to Zhao Heng.

"Hmm, you should also take care to rest, as the patient still needs your care."

Zhao Heng nodded and said.

"Dr. Zhao, how much will this biological therapy and chemotherapy cost?"

The uncle asked hesitantly.

After paying the basic hospitalization fees, he didn't have much money left. He had been living with his daughter alone, and life was already very difficult. The last three months had nearly depleted his funds.

"Currently, the treatment is symptomatic, so it won't cost much. Once the chemotherapy and biological therapy plans are finalized, I will let you know."

Zhao Heng thought for a moment and said.

The issue of cost is another major challenge doctors face aside from technical problems.

"Thank you, Dr. Zhao. I will find a way to raise the funds, just please do not give up on Miaomiao's treatment."

The uncle seemed to have made up his mind and said.

Hearing this, Zhao Heng could only nod.

After the uncle left, Zhao Heng immediately began to search through his mind for the branch techniques of somatic cell culture and proliferation from Cell Fate Regulation.

Compared to Cell Fate Regulation and cultivating various stem cells, performing somatic cell proliferation is much simpler.

However, there is a difficult problem now, not in terms of technology but in terms of cost.

For this patient, chemotherapy and tumor biological therapy need to be conducted simultaneously, both of which are expensive treatment methods.

Cell Fate Regulation is the most cutting-edge and advanced technology, and even though somatic cell culture proliferation is a branch technique, it requires a large number of high-end instruments. Each of these instruments easily costs millions of dollars, and some are not available in many places, requiring access to Professor Li Hongwei's laboratory at Yanjing University.

Thinking of this, Zhao Heng frowned. He could find ways to solve the technical challenges, but he really couldn't think of a good solution to the medical costs problem.

Moreover, when the uncle paid the initial hospitalization fees, he had already shown great difficulty.

It seems that over the past three months of seeking medical help, the uncle has almost depleted his savings.

"Dr. Zhao, what's wrong?"

Noticing Zhao Heng frowning, Tian Zhen couldn't help but ask.

"How much is left of the hospital fee for bed 4?"

Zhao Heng asked.

Bed 4 is the girl's — Miaomiao's — bed.

"They initially paid only two thousand yuan, and after the tests, there's a little over one thousand left."

Tian Zhen thought for a moment and said.

Even the test costs were minimized to only the necessary tests, otherwise, given Miaomiao's condition, just the diagnostics alone wouldn't have cost only two thousand yuan.

This is the reality of modern healthcare. Once complex conditions are involved, the costs skyrocket, which is also a significant downside of modern medicine.

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