“With the best medical conditions, China always give a helping hand to Pakistan. I hope to learn advanced medical technology in China, serving my motherland in the future,” said Abdul Rehman Khan from the School of Medicine at Zhejiang University, in an exclusive interview with China Economic Net.
Recently, Abdul Rehman Khan published an academic paper on the title of Portal Vein Tumor Thrombosis and Hepatocellular Carcinoma-The Changing Tides in the well-known academic journal Hepatocellular Carcinoma as the first author, under the guidance of his supervisor Professor Xu Xiao, the Associate Dean of School of Medicine, the President of Affiliated Hangzhou First People’s Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine.
As a country with a high incidence of liver cancer, the global cancer report indicates that the number of liver cancer cases in China accounts for 46.7% of the global cases. Since there are no obvious symptoms of early liver cancer, most patients are already in the middle and late stage when they are first diagnosed, so that lost the opportunity for surgical resection. Liver cancer is the malignant tumor with the highest mortality rate among adult men under 60 in China. Especially when hepatocellular carcinoma is combined with portal vein tumor thrombosis (PVTT), the average median survival time is only 2.7 months.
“The Chinese medical community has an outstanding of research on liver cancer. In addition, there are enough clinical cases for research here,” noted Rehman. His article elaborated on the current status of treatment of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) combined with PVTT and clinical bottlenecks, outlined the etiology and clinical classification of PVTT, and systematically compared different treatment methods including transcatheter aterial chemoembolization (TACE), selective internal radiation therapy (SIRT), molecular targeted drugs, partial hepatectomy and liver transplantation. Besides, the article emphasized the concept of multidisciplinary comprehensive treatment, and proposed the future direction of individualized and precise treatment of PVTT.
In 2019, Abdul Rehman Khan was admitted to Zhejiang University and is currently studying for a doctoral student in surgery. When Rehman’s classmates talked about him, they would habitually give a thumbs up and say, “our best Iron Brother!” As an assiduous student, in order to overcome language difficulties, Rehman always record the entire learning process every time he participates in the clinical study, and think of ways to make up for his weakness. Besides, his doctorial tutor Professor Xu Xiao also praised him, “Our team attaches great importance to teacher-student communication, by which to resolve all doubts. For Rehman, I always proceed from the practical clinical bottleneck and make the best use of the circumstances. Usually, I pay attention to guide him to conduct clinical research training, and constantly explore the interdisciplinary innovation model of student training. Undoubtedly he is self-motivated and willing to learn.”
“It has always been my wish to heal the wounded and rescue the dying, as a useful person to my country and people. Being a doctor is an effective way to serve others.” When it comes to future plans, Rehman remains true to his original aspiration. “In almost all developing countries, including Pakistan of course, the medical resources we can provide for liver cancer patients are often far from enough. Our level of cancer medical care lags far behind that of developed countries. This is also a common difficulty faced by all developing countries. After listening to my heart, Professor Xu has been teaching me all the time. He always hopes that I can learn as much as possible while studying in China.”
Pakistan implements universal free medical care, but the lack of systematic and efficient medical resources troubles the whole society. Rehman mentioned China Pakistan Medical Association (CPMA), which was inspired by the concept of China Pakistan Health Corridor and it established to strengthen the medical cooperation between China and Pakistan. “At present, the exchange of scholars between the two countries for further training is a crucial step. China Pakistan Health Corridor is vital for the prosperity and healthy cooperation for China and Pakistan ties, I’m always be ready to do something for it,” Rehman showed his determination.
