New Zealand woman in Shanghai for cancer treatment

A 36-year-old woman from New Zealand is being treated for cancer in Shanghai after around 3,000 people donated money to sponsor her CAR-T cell therapy.

Emma Holden's treatment is expected to take about three months. Her case became known in her home country after she and her family made public her battle against multiple myeloma, a common type of blood cancer, to raise funds for her trip and medical expenses.

CAR-T, or chimeric antigen receptor T cell treatment, is tailored for each patient by reprogramming their immune cells to target their cancer. It is a complex treatment that necessitates close monitoring by multidisciplinary teams.

"Emma was very anxious while arriving in Shanghai on Monday, as it is her first time to come to China and the previous medical treatment has made her so weak," said Dr Lily Zhou, her attending physician at Shanghai SinoUnited Hospital.

Emma was also under strong pressure as more than 3,000 people donated money to sponsor her treatment.

"We offered mental support and told her that her fight against disease will not only be heartening but also give hope to patients with the same disease. Our staff even took her on a bike tour nearby to help her relax and have a better understanding to the city," Zhou said.

Emma is now in a better mental state and more optimistic, which is extremely important for the treatment outcome, Zhou said.

"From her performance today, I have a higher confidence about her treatment even though it is a very challenging case. Usually, patients with multiple myeloma are in old age, like their 60s. It is rare to see such a young patient like Emma... Today's leukapheresis, the first step of CAR-T therapy by extracting white blood cells, ran smoothly. It only took over three hours and she is expected to be discharged tomorrow," Zhou said.

After collection, the white blood cells are sent to a pharmaceutical company where the T cells, white blood cells in the immune system, are turned into CAR T cells. During the process, a new gene is introduced into the T cells so they can do more to detect and kill cancerous cells.

"This process will take about four to eight weeks. During this period, the patient only need to come to our outpatient department for chemotherapy and radiation, which is a bridging therapy to make the body better prepared to receive the new cells," Zhou said.

"The actual treatment in one or two months will involve receiving CAR T cells via infusion. Then she should be hospitalized for about three weeks, during which we will monitor and take care of any side effects and do follow-up observation and treatment," she said. "Most patients can see a quick response in their medical report. My previous patient saw his data became normal only two weeks after being discharged.

"After patients finish CAR-T therapy, we will also give follow-up care and guidance to ensure a long-term cancer remission and survival," she said.

Holden said: "I feel comfortable with doctors and nurses here and the treatment and process are very smooth. I am looking forward to walking around Shanghai and visiting local restaurants and cafes after finishing the treatment."

She and her husband run a restaurant in her hometown.

Zhou said she had received multiple consultations from patients in New Zealand and had successfully treated a few Kiwi patients. They had come to Shanghai for its good health service, quick response, and competitive price, which is more cost-effective than in Western countries, she said.