★ Over 100,000 copies sold! The first-ever personal memoir chronicling a ten-year journey of seeking cross-border cancer treatment, documenting a perilous odyssey of 2 surgeries, 5 recurrences and metastases, 4 emergency room visits, and 6 courses of radiotherapy!
★ A comprehensive and compassionate "GPS navigation guide" for seeking medical treatment abroad, and an authoritative empirical summary and analysis of cutting-edge treatment philosophies, identifying the five essential elements for successful cancer treatment!
★ Beyond the author's personal story, this work records the experiences of fellow cancer patients, offering profound insights and reflections on various treatment protocols. Supported by a wealth of real-life case studies, it reflects on modern lifestyles and serves as a constant reminder to readers that humans have nothing to be conceited about—not even their own bodies.
★ Between illness and destiny lie secrets beyond our grasp; remember, every wall is a door.
★ The sequel to this work, *Patients Without Borders 2: End-of-Life*, was published in July 2026. Continuing the themes and style of its predecessor, it explores the relationship between humanity and disease, integrating medical treatment with humanistic spirit—particularly focusing on the internal psychological resilience of patients.

*Patients Without Borders* is a firsthand memoir of a ten-year journey through cancer treatment and the first book to share comprehensive experiences regarding cross-border medical care. The author, Shi Yonggang, was diagnosed with adrenocortical carcinoma—a rare cancer with an incidence rate of only one in a million. At the time, limited treatment options and effective medications were available in China. Consequently, the author traveled to the MD Anderson Cancer Center in the United States to seek medical help. Over a harrowing decade, he endured two surgeries, five recurrences and metastases, four emergency room visits, and six rounds of radiotherapy, ultimately achieving "rebirth" by participating in three clinical trials for new drugs.

When facing illness, what people can do is understand it as thoroughly as possible and win the time necessary to defeat it. In *Patients Without Borders*, Shi Yonggang summarizes five essential elements for successful cancer treatment: First, consultations must be comprehensive and timely; staying informed about cutting-edge developments helps evaluate the pros and cons of various treatment plans. Second, choose the right hospitals and doctors; accurately understanding the differences in experience and medical facilities across institutions for a specific disease ensures prompt and effective treatment. Third, prepare sufficient contingency plans; for every treatment, one should reserve alternative options as backups. Fourth, adjust your physical and mental state; maintain patience and decent physical function, using a "war of attrition" mindset to withstand the toll of each treatment. Fifth, manage financial budgeting and management effectively to ensure the smooth implementation of critical treatments.

During his treatment at MD Anderson, Shi Yonggang met many fellow patients undergoing similar journeys. In *Patients Without Borders*, he shares many of their stories, allowing readers to perceive the role of personality in cancer treatment. Some patients are exceptionally compliant, strictly following their doctors' advice and executing treatment plans without deviation. Others become "experts through long-term illness," gaining a profound understanding of their treatment protocols and medications; their ability to perform partial self-diagnosis combined with professional advice often significantly improves outcomes. Conversely, some patients are indecisive, trusting one doctor’s advice one moment and following another’s the next; such vacillation often leads to delays in treatment. Being a patient with high compliance while simultaneously enhancing one's own ability to learn is highly beneficial for recovery.

Spanning nearly 400,000 characters, *Patients Without Borders* provides a detailed record of the author’s 3,000-day quest for healing. It encompasses personal reflections on cancer protocols, professional insights, and a vast number of real-life case studies, making it both a practical and sincere work. Beyond medical treatment, the book reflects on contemporary lifestyles, constantly reminding readers that humans have nothing to be conceited about—not even their own bodies.

Shi Yonggang
Writer and former Editor-in-Chief of *Phoenix Weekly*. He has published numerous works, including *The Last Cavalry*, *Patients Without Borders*, and *Decrypting Phoenix*. Additionally, he has edited and published book series such as *A Pictorial Biography of Soong May-ling*, *A Pictorial Biography of Che Guevara*, and *A Pictorial Biography of Teresa Teng*.

In September 2012, Shi Yonggang was diagnosed with adrenocortical carcinoma. In March 2013, the author traveled to the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, USA, for treatment. Following a protracted eight-year medical journey, he officially ceased all medication in April 2019. In July 2025, he marked five years post-surgery without recurrence, achieving clinical recovery.

After the publication of *Patients Without Borders*, a book documenting his eight-year battle against cancer, many patients reached out to the author through various channels seeking assistance. With Shi Yonggang’s help, within just two years, eight patients with adrenocortical carcinoma traveled to Houston for treatment, and over sixty others secured treatment plans abroad. Hundreds of patients unable to seek treatment overseas were recommended to various domestic hospitals or received international remote consultations.

Contents

**Volume I: I was diagnosed with a rare cancer with an annual incidence of one in a million**
1. One in a Million Misfortune
2. The World Lacks a "Medical GPS" (Doctor Navigator)
3. Only Doctors Know the Secrets of the Hospital
4. "The First Scalpel of Peking Union Medical College Hospital"
5. The Doctor Removed a Tumor Weighing 0.8 Kilograms from My Body

**Volume II: Can Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Treat Cancer?**
6. Can Traditional Chinese Medicine Treat Cancer?
7. Writers Who Fled from Shanghai to Xishuangbanna: One Cured Diabetes, the Other Cured Lung Cancer
8. "Adrenal Fatigue": The Origin of Cancer
9. Three Months Post-Surgery: Tumor Recurrence and Metastasis to Lungs, L4 Vertebra, Left Psoas Major, and Liver

**Volume III: The Underground Drug Market**
10. The Only Specific Drug, Mitotane: It Turns Out to Be a Pesticide (DDD)
11. Orphan Drugs: The Secret Lives of the Rare Disease Community
12. Why a Forty-Year-Old Specific Drug Is Still Unavailable After Its Patent Has Expired
13. The Underground Drug Market: Searching for the Lifesaving Miracle Drug "DDD"

**Volume IV: Why Did I Choose to Go to the United States for Cancer Treatment?**
14. Why I Chose to Go to the United States for Cancer Treatment
15. Light and Salt: A DIY Complete Journal of Seeking Medical Care in the U.S.
16. My Primary Care Physician, Dr. Habra, a Syrian, Embraced Me

**Volume V: The "Chinese Cancer Patient Village" in Houston**
17. 8181 Fannin: The "Chinese Cancer Patient Village" in Houston
18. Expensive Conversations: $600 for an Outpatient Consultation, $1,000 for a Blood Test

**Volume VI: An American Doctor Gifted Me $20,000 Worth of Oncology Drugs**
19. Dr. Habra Gifted Me $20,000 Worth of Mitotane
20. How to Apply for Free Oncology Drugs in the United States?
21. Bad News: Bone Metastasis at L4 Vertebra, Mitotane Resistance
22. Xiao Quan, an 18-Year-Old Lymphoma Patient, Was Miraculously Cured in Nine Months

**Volume VII: The Narrow Door**
23. Eight Months After Treatment: Explosive Progression in Both Lungs, Liver, and L4 Vertebra
24. My Second Physician: The World's Top Penile Cancer Expert in a Wheelchair
25. High-Dose Four-Drug Combination Chemotherapy: Four Days per Session, Eight Hours per Day
26. Comparing the Severity of Chemotherapy Side Effects Between Chinese and American Hospitals

**Volume VIII: The Radiation Oncologist Apologized to Me**
27. The Radiation Oncologist Apologized to Me
28. The First Emergency Visit: Radiation and Chemotherapy Left Me "Aphasic"
29. Folk Remedies and Courage: Opting Out of a New Breast Cancer Drug Trial for TCM Conditioning, Remaining Stable to Date
30. The "Leukocyte-Boosting Secret Formula" and Popular Cancer Dietary Recipes
31. The First CR (Complete Remission) and the Sudden Third Recurrence

**Volume IX: Disease Inventors**
32. The Secret Garden of Cancer Patients: Clinical Trials for New Drugs and "Drug Testing"
33. Inventing a New Drug to Save Himself, Yet Dying Due to the Inability to Use His Own Lifesaving Creation
34. "Long QT Syndrome" Brings Risk of Sudden Death: I Was Rejected from the Trial Group

**Volume X: Where Does the Gap in Radiotherapy Between China and the U.S. Lie?**
35. The Second Emergency Visit: A Sky-High Treatment Bill of $12,000 for One Night
36. A Sci-Fi Scenario in Tumor Treatment: "Abscopal Effect" Triggered by Radiotherapy + Immunotherapy
37. Why American Hospitals Need a Week to Design a Treatment Plan for Radiotherapy

**Volume XI: Exactly How Expensive Is Medical Care in the U.S.?**
38. Exactly How Expensive Is Medical Care in the U.S.? I Sold My House
39. My Mother Passed Away Before My Radiotherapy: A 10,000-Mile Journey for a Seven-Day Funeral Between China and the U.S.
40. The Third Emergency Visit: Gallstone Attack, Seven Days of Hospitalization
41. My Oncologist, Dr. Lance: Resigned and Moved to the Mayo Clinic
42. "I Am the Patient; Those Who Take Care of Me Will Also Become Patients"

**Volume XII: Same Drug, Different Disease; Same Disease, Different Fate**
43. One May Have Bad Luck, but Must Not Have the Look of Misfortune
44. Same Drug, Different Disease; Same Disease, Different Fate
45. The Only Comedy in the Chinese Cancer Patient Village

**Volume XIII: Mr. Anxiety**
46. The Third Drug-Resistant Recurrence: Failed Challenge with Ipilimumab + Radiotherapy
47. Failed the Second Challenge of Ipilimumab Combined with Radiotherapy; Withdrew from the Trial Group
48. The Second Clinical Trial: The Miracle Immunotherapy Drug that Cured Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter's Brain Cancer
49. Mr. Anxiety: Waiting Twelve Months for the Lifesaving "Keytruda" Amidst the Fear of Tumor Recurrence and Growth

**Volume XIV: The Fourth Recurrence**
50. The Fourth Emergency Visit: "Pseudoprogression" After Immunotherapy
51. The CEO of a Listed Company Self-Researched Treatment for Lung Cancer and Recovered After Using Four Types of Immunotherapy Drugs
52. After Two Years in the Trial Group and Thirty-Five Infusions of Keytruda, the Fourth Drug-Resistant Recurrence Occurred

**Volume XV: Fear Is Contagious, and So Is Hope**
53. The Sixth Year of Treatment in the U.S.: The Clinical Trial Doctor Suddenly Invited Me to Dinner
54. Going for Surgery Alone
55. Borderless Patients During the COVID-19 Pandemic