An elementary school teacher in central Taiwan has received a minimally invasive surgery to treat a rare complication resulting from treatment for nasopharyngeal cancer. She is now undergoing speech therapy and is expected to return to teaching next semester.
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00:00Ms. Li, an elementary school teacher in central Taiwan, has been battling nasopharyngeal cancer
00:06for several years.
00:08It's a type of cancer that starts behind the nasal cavity and can spread through the head
00:11and neck.
00:13She underwent radiation therapy two years ago and went into remission, but recently
00:18the cancer returned.
00:20After her last round of radiation therapy, Ms. Li experienced splitting headaches and
00:24weak limbs.
00:26Finally, she decided to seek specialized treatment at one of the country's largest medical centers.
00:47Doctors at Taichung's Veterans General Hospital diagnosed Ms. Li with osteoradionecrosis,
00:53a relatively rare side effect of radiation therapy that causes exposed bones to die.
00:59The condition had led to a dislocation of a vertebrae in her neck.
01:04The doctors then performed a minimally invasive surgery to remove dead tissue and correct
01:08her cervical spine.
01:23Doctors say radiation and chemotherapy, the two most common treatments for nasopharyngeal
01:33cancer, can cause serious complications.
01:37But in Ms. Li's case, she was able to receive the care she needed in time.
01:41For now, Ms. Li goes in for regular checkups and is undergoing speech therapy.
01:46She's expected to make a full recovery and be able to go back to teaching next semester.
01:51Howard Chang, Wesley Lewis, and Bryn Thomas for Taiwan Plus.