Surgery Godfather
Chapter 1173 - 924: 1.2 Million for a Needle_2

Chapter 1173: Chapter 924: 1.2 Million for a Needle_2

"You are great!" Li Yingtong looked at Yang Ping with deep affection.

Yang Ping responded with equal affection, "Actually, everyone can be great, and so can you."

---

Surgical Research Institute Outpatient.

Professor Zhang Zongshun was waiting for the test results of his patient Li Ruizhong, a 38-year-old male who had been experiencing low-grade fevers and migratory joint pain in his limbs for the past four months. He had seen many doctors at other hospitals and undergone numerous tests for rheumatoid arthritis, but the results were either negative or showed no significant characteristic changes.

A few days ago, Professor Zhang performed a bone marrow biopsy on the patient in the outpatient clinic, and today was the day to retrieve the pathology report. The patient had also scheduled a follow-up appointment with Professor Zhang.

Before long, Li Ruizhong arrived, holding a pathology report that he couldn’t understand himself because it was filled with English abbreviations and words.

After waiting so many days, he finally received the pathology report. Li Ruizhong was quite happy, and a smile appeared on his face.

"Professor Zhang, the report is out, can you help me take a look?" he asked.

Li Ruizhong handed the pathology report to Professor Zhang a little out of breath.

Professor Zhang took the report and saw what he had suspected—diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, and it had progressed quickly of late.

"Professor Zhang, what is this illness?" Li Ruizhong asked worriedly.

Professor Zhang put down the report, looked at Li Ruizhong, and pondered for a moment. "Did you come alone? Where is your wife, didn’t she come with you?"

"No, she’s at home with the kids." Li Ruizhong didn’t understand what Professor Zhang meant.

Thinking it over, Professor Zhang knew that the disease was treatable, so he said to Li Ruizhong, "Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma?"

"Cancer?"

Li Ruizhong’s heart leaped to his throat.

"Cancer is cancer, diffuse large B-cell lymphoma is diffuse large B-cell lymphoma—they are different diseases. Don’t be nervous. Hematology or oncology will handle this condition. Go to hematology tomorrow and get an appointment; I’ll write you a note."

Li Ruizhong searched on his phone and found that this disease was a malignant tumor, also known as cancer.

It was like a bolt from the blue. Li Ruizhong felt dizzy and collapsed to the floor. Professor Zhang, who regularly exercised and had quick reflexes, immediately stood up to support him. With the help of his assistant graduate student Xiao Lin, who also reacted quickly, they together helped Li Ruizhong and let him lie down on the examination bed.

"Nurse, quick, a patient has fainted, give him some oxygen," Xiao Lin called out.

The nurse immediately came over, connected Li Ruizhong to an oxygen supply, and after about ten minutes, Li Ruizhong came to. Struggling to get up, he stabilized himself for a few minutes and said, "I’m sorry, doctor, I couldn’t handle the shock. Was the disease you mentioned just now cancer?"

"You don’t need to be nervous. Although it’s a tumor and malignant, it’s not the cancer you’re thinking of. It is treatable, understand?" Professor Zhang said as gently as possible. He had to be clear about it; the patient would have to face it sooner or later, but it was also important not to scare the patient.

"Isn’t malignant tumor just another word for cancer?" Li Ruizhong’s eyes were listless.

Professor Zhang comforted him, "There are many types of malignant tumors, some of which are curable. Your type is one of the malignant tumors that can be cured."

"Let me see that report—"

Li Ruizhong took the pathology report handed to him by Xiao Lin, staring at it as if in a dream, wishing it wasn’t true, that it was just a nightmare.

But reality was reality. After a long while, he spoke, "Can it really be cured?"

With his smartphone, the modern man’s greatest tool, Li Ruizhong started to search the diagnosis from the pathology report. His hands trembled so much that it took him a long time to complete the search, and he did not forget to add the words "can be cured" at the end.

"1.2 million!?"

Li Ruizhong read through a few news articles that came up from his search about the disease, stating that there was a kind of miracle drug that could treat it, but the cost was 1.2 million.

For someone who found it difficult to make 12,000, 1.2 million was an astronomical figure, completely out of reach.

"1.2 million?" Li Ruizhong’s face turned ashen. If not for the oxygen tube in his nostrils, he might have fainted again.

Professor Zhang patiently explained, "If it’s treated with this method, it might cost even more than 1.2 million. That’s just the drug cost. However, this disease has other relatively less expensive treatment options, most of which can achieve the purpose of curing, but the premise is that you must not be scared, stabilize your emotions, and undergo formal treatment."

The medication priced at 1.2 million per dose is called Axicabtagene Ciloleucel Injection, a product of the American company Kite Pharma, and it’s the first drug in the world with such effective treatment results for malignant tumors. It is used to treat non-Hodgkin lymphoma and has a particularly high cure rate, capable of eradicating tumor cells in the patient’s body, at least temporarily.

However, it is not covered by medical insurance and must be paid for entirely out-of-pocket.

Li Ruizhong held the report in his hand, murmuring to himself, and then nodded mechanically, "Thank you, Professor Zhang, I’ll go back and discuss this."

No matter what Professor Zhang said, Li Ruizhong found it hard to take in; he was convinced it was an incurable disease.

"Are you all right?" Professor Zhang asked with concern.

Li Ruizhong shook his head numbly, then staggered out of the office, clutching the pathology report tightly in his hand.

"Follow him to make sure he doesn’t fall and keep him company for a bit."

This kind of situation is a blow to anyone, and as a doctor, Professor Zhang has seen too much of this.

After seeing a few more patients, it was almost time to close, Li Ruizhong still hadn’t left and was sitting outside the office on a bench, expressionless and with a vacant gaze.

The Surgical Research Institute doesn’t have an emergency service, so the outpatient clinic closes at six in the evening. However, the lobby remains open because it has many benches that can accommodate family members of patients from out of town who may not have the means to afford a hotel stay, allowing them to sleep in the lobby overnight. The security guards not only don’t chase them away but also provide cups for them to use and the water dispenser in the lobby is available for them to drink from with disposable cups readily available. This was all a rule established by Yang Ping.

"Why haven’t you gone back yet? Don’t worry, tomorrow you can go to the hematology or oncology department for this condition, or you can continue to come see me."

Professor Zhang patted Li Ruizhong on the shoulder.

"I just want to sit quietly here. My home is over two hundred kilometers away from here, I’ll not go back for now," Li Ruizhong sighed.

"Help him book a budget room at the Nandu Hotel, then get a boxed meal for him and take him to rest for a while. I’ll pay for it, I’ll transfer five hundred to you as a start," Professor Zhang instructed Xiao Lin, the graduate student who was shadowing him.

Li Ruizhong, an out-of-towner seeking medical treatment, had been waiting for the pathology report since his visit, spending each night sleeping in the lobby.

"Thank you, Professor Zhang, how could I let you spend the money. I can just sleep here," Li Ruizhong said while holding Professor Zhang’s hand and felt a touch of warmth, comforting him a bit.

"It’s no trouble; I can get reimbursed. I can get reimbursed. You go with Xiao Lin, get a good night’s sleep, and tomorrow come find me. We’ll discuss the treatment together, alright?" Professor Zhang spoke as if they were just having a casual family chat, making Li Ruizhong feel like he was speaking to a relative.

Li Ruizhong’s mind was initially blank, unsure where to go or what to do, numbly sitting outside the office lost in thought. Now that Professor Zhang had made arrangements, he felt like he had some direction.

"Um, thank you, Professor Zhang,"

"Come with me!"

Xiao Lin wasn’t sure how to talk to him and could only first take him to the hotel to rest. The man bid farewell to Professor Zhang and followed Xiao Lin to the Sanbo Hotel.

"I’ll come to see you tomorrow to discuss!" Li Ruizhong called back loudly to Professor Zhang.

Professor Zhang waved his hand, "Right, come find me at eight o’clock, and we’ll sort things out together. What’s there to worry about?"

Yang Ping encountered Professor Zhang at the entrance of the Surgical Research Institute. Professor Zhang was on the phone instructing Xiao Lin and immediately came over to chat upon seeing Yang Ping.

"Hey, I just saw a patient from the countryside with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, it’s pretty sad. If the patient doesn’t want to go to the oncology or hematology department, our department can admit him, right?" Professor Zhang said sympathetically.

"Yes, we admit all kinds of patients." Yang Ping knew Professor Zhang had a soft heart.

"The cure rate for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma is quite high nowadays."

"Yes, that’s why I suggested he immediately begin standard treatment."

"And the best option would be Axicabtagene Ciloleucel Injection."

"That’s 1.2 million per dose!"