Wan-li's Story

Beating the odds – surviving rare anal cancer

Having beat the odds of surviving a very rare cancer, maybe it’s time for Wan-li Wang to buy himself a lottery ticket.

The treatment wasn’t easy – it rarely is with cancer. But the fact that Wan-li has “way out-lived the median survival” for his disease, according to SCCA medical oncologist, Dr. Anthony Back, means that Wan-li is “doing amazingly well.”

Diagnosed in January 2006 at age of 58, Wan-li says it was swollen lymph nodes in his legs that made him seek out a doctor. He’s never had cancer before this and there’s no cancer in his family. “I’m always doing health-conscious things, too,” he says. So the diagnosis of anal cancer, which is a very rare disease, was a bit surprising to him and his family.

“I didn’t have an emotional breakdown when I found out,” Wan-li says. “I just decided then and there that it was something I was going to have to take care of.”

Wan-li came to Seattle Cancer Care Alliance from San Francisco at the recommendation of family and friends who live in Seattle; he came here for six months to have treatment and lived with his brother.

His cancer was Stage IV. Estimates for his survival were only months. Dr. Back gave Wan-li aggressive treatment, which meant 25 sessions of outpatient chemotherapy as well as wearing a portable chemotherapy pump which he wore five days a week. The treatment to Wan-li was like going to “Hell and back,” he says, but he doesn’t regret it one bit.

“In retrospect, what I thought was just hemorrhoids was probably an early sign,” Wong says. But Dr. Back says it is very difficult to know when you have this rare form of cancer.

“We were surprised to see Wan-li here at SCCA with this cancer; It’s that rare,” says Dr. Back, who believes Wan-li’s ability to balance hope and the reality of his situation has helped him in regaining his good health.

“I am so thankful for every day. I live for every day and I definitely appreciate life more, in every way,” says Wan-li, who works with Asian Art and is an artist himself.

“I hope there is a cure. I hope that everyone is well and will be well – that’s what I think every time I visit SCCA.”

Not every person’s story has a happy ending, Wan-li says, but for now he’s happy to indulge in all that he loves.

For more information about Dr. Anthony Back, click here.

Information about anal cancer can be found at The National Cancer Institute.