Thai friend's mother just had a health exam at Bangkok Pattaya Hospital.  Not good, looks like she needs a mastectomy.  She is from SaKaeo and the locals have little confidence in the government hospital there. Looking at alternatives and all options.  She can travel, costs is a major consideration and I will help the bill as much as possible.  She visits the Breast Cancer Center at BHP tomorrow but we know BHP will be expensive for a Thai.  Quick action required. 

Has she already had a biopsy? As if not, then you cannot be sure she has cancer. Biopsy is the first step. Most masses detected on mammogram are benign.

 

If she does have cancer, there is much more to it than just a mastectomy, she will also almost certainly need chemo and radiation as well and treatment will last months.

 

She can get all this done, for free, through the government system.  They would not do it at Sakeo,they would refer her  to a higher level facility, but she needs to go back to Sakeo with the test results in hand and get letter for referral from them. (They might, however, be able to do the biopsy there - by there meaning  the main provincial hospital. If she lives outside the town and her local hospital is a community hospital it will not be able to do even that, but would refer her to the provincial hospital.)

 

I am not sure where Sakeo refers to, might be to Prachinburi which is now a regional level facility or might be to the specialized government cancer hospital in Chonburi.

 

As it sounds like you are in Pattaya area, the government cancer hospital in Chonburi may be convenient. Get a referral letter form Sakeo first so that she does not have to pay. Even at a government hospital this will add up to a lot.

Thank you for your prompt reply.  She is 55 and will visit the Breast Cancer Center tomorrow.  She mentioned she had mild chest pain several month ago but it went away.  The doctor said it looked like stage 4 on a five point scale and needs to do a follow-up immediately.  I will try to explain the word biopsy in Thai to the family with my limited Thai language skills.  Your help is greatly appreciated.

Stage 4 ill definitley required prolonged chemo and radiation. As said before, she needs to take the records to the hospital where she is registered under the 30 baht scheme and get a letter of referral from them to an apppropriate facility (which will not be in Sakeo, there is none in that province).

 

She can try specifically asking for referral to the Chonburi cancer hospital (might be where they's refer anyhow but I am not sure).

Thanks Sheryl, I will share your advice. Biopsy performed today on both sides, results in one week.

Good news, 8 cores taken from both breasts reveals  no malignancy.  Follow-up in one year.

 

Glad to hear it.