As cancer rates continue to climb in Hong Kong, a new initiative is aiming to alleviate the often-debilitating pain experienced by serious illness patients.The Hong Kong Pain Management (Serious Illness) Concern Fund has launched the “Restoring Hope” program, providing financial assistance for advanced pain management therapies. Founded by Dr.Ning Chun Chen, who experienced chronic pain firsthand, the program seeks to address a critical gap in care and ensure all patients, regardless of economic status, have access to effective relief.
For individuals facing serious illnesses, the relentless and debilitating pain can often be more devastating than the disease itself. In Hong Kong, cancer rates continue to rise, and many patients experience excruciating pain even after receiving the most advanced treatments. Recognizing this critical need, the Hong Kong Pain Management (Serious Illness) Concern Fund recently launched the “Restoring Hope” program, offering full financial assistance for pain management to those in need. The initiative was founded by Dr. Ning Chun Chen, who experienced chronic pain firsthand, and is supported by a team of medical experts.
Written by: Medical Inspire | Image Source: Hong Kong Pain Management (Serious Illness) Concern Fund
Table of Contents
- Founder Dr. Chen Ning Chun Shares Her Experience: “Pain Can Drive a Person to Madness”
- Rising Cancer Rates Highlight Need for Pain Management, Says Professor Hui Man
- Innovative “Precision Pain Relief” Technology: Implantable Pumps Reduce Side Effects
- “I Had to Use a Pillow to Muffle the Pain,” Shares Patient Mr. Fung: Surgery Gave Him a New Lease on Life
- “Restoring Hope” Program: Breaking Down Economic Barriers for Patients
- 💡What is an “Intrathecal Drug Infusion System”?
The program’s creation stems from a deeply personal understanding of suffering. At a press conference, Dr. Chen Ning Chun, founder and chair of the fund, publicly shared her own battle with pain. She revealed she suffered from adenomyosis, a condition causing severe pelvic pain, which proved difficult to manage. Despite increasing dosages of pain medication, including morphine, her body developed a resistance, ultimately rendering all drugs ineffective.
Dr. Chen recalled:
“I deeply understand the feeling that pain can drive a person to madness.”
Driven by this experience, Dr. Chen resolved during her hospitalization to help others find relief from pain, breaking down barriers caused by financial hardship. Effective pain management is a crucial component of overall health and quality of life, and access to care shouldn’t be limited by economic status.
Rising Cancer Rates Highlight Need for Pain Management, Says Professor Hui Man
Pain management should not be an overlooked aspect of modern medical care. Professor Rina Hui Man, Clinical Professor of Clinical Oncology at the University of Hong Kong, pointed out that cancer incidence in Hong Kong has steadily increased between 1994 and 2023, with lung, breast, and colorectal cancers being the most common. Approximately 38,000 people are diagnosed with cancer annually in Hong Kong, and an estimated 50% to 80% of these patients experience pain to varying degrees.
Professor Hui Man emphasized that while treatments like radiation, chemotherapy, and targeted therapy effectively control tumors, pain management is equally vital and should be considered a fundamental patient right. She explained that effective pain control can improve a patient’s nutritional intake and sleep quality, allowing their body to conserve energy for treatment and potentially improving survival rates.
Innovative “Precision Pain Relief” Technology: Implantable Pumps Reduce Side Effects
Traditional oral pain medications often cause side effects like constipation, nausea, or confusion, and may not deliver medication directly to the source of pain. Dr. Timmy Chan Chi Yung, a specialist in pain medicine at Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong, introduced the latest advancement in pain management: intrathecal drug infusion systems, commonly known as implantable pain pumps.
This technology is akin to installing an “automatic navigation” system for pain relief within the body. A small dose of morphine is delivered directly to the targeted area through a surgically implanted pump. Dr. Chan described it as a “guided missile,” precisely targeting the spinal nerves. Because the medication acts directly on the spinal cord, the required morphine dosage is extremely low, significantly reducing systemic side effects and providing more sustained, effective pain relief. Professor Huang Shou Zheng of the University of Hong Kong Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine cited research showing that patients experienced an average reduction of 4.34 points in pain (on a scale of 10) within four to five weeks after implantation.
The personal story of Mr. Fung, a patient with skin cancer, best illustrates the toll pain takes on a person’s dignity. He described his pain as so severe that he “couldn’t eat or sleep” and even had to “use a pillow to muffle the pain,” a desperate attempt to cope. Traditional pain medication had become completely ineffective for him.
Fortunately, after Dr. Chan Chi Yung performed implantable pain pump surgery, Mr. Fung’s life began to turn around. He reported that the pain disappeared after the procedure: “Initially, I needed medication monthly, now it’s every three to four months.” This treatment not only stopped the pain but also allowed him to reconnect with his family and regain his sense of self-worth.
“Restoring Hope” Program: Breaking Down Economic Barriers for Patients
To benefit more individuals, the Hong Kong Pain Management (Serious Illness) Concern Fund is donating implantable pain pumps and spinal cord stimulators to the University of Hong Kong Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine through this program, providing full financial assistance to patients with economic hardship and performing surgeries at teaching hospitals.
Eligibility and Vision:
Eligible Patients: Individuals with cancer pain, spinal nerve pain, and sciatica.
Goal: To alleviate severe pain in patients within days and reduce reliance on opioid medications.
Vision: To achieve “help for those who seek it, aid for those in pain,” with an initial goal of improving the quality of life for 100 patients.
Dr. Chen Ning Chun stated at the launch event:
“We should break down the barriers of economic hardship and stop the suffering.”
“Medical advancements should not be a privilege for the wealthy. This program fills a gap in society, ensuring that patients from all backgrounds are not left to fight in the dark alone.”
💡What is an “Intrathecal Drug Infusion System”?
This is a minimally invasive implantable medical device. Surgeons implant a drug pump under the skin of the abdomen, connecting it to the spinal fluid (intrathecal space) via a small catheter. By delivering medication directly to the nervous system, it is far more effective than oral morphine, while minimizing the side effects associated with traditional pain medications because the drug bypasses the systemic bloodstream.
