Su Yiran, Diagnosed with Gastric Cancer 44 Years Ago, Passed Away at 103
On the morning of June 7, 2021, Su Yiran, former member of the Central Advisory Commission of the Communist Party of China and former Party Secretary of Shandong Province, passed away at the age of 103. According to local Shandong media, his memorial service would be held at 2 p.m. this Friday (June 11) in the First Memorial Hall of the Jinan Funeral Parlor.
Su Yiran was a native of Sichuan, born in 1918 and having joined the Party in 1937. After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, he worked in Anhui for many years; in 1960 he was transferred to work in Shandong. In 1977 he became Party Secretary of Shandong Province, in 1979 Governor of Shandong, and in 1982 First Secretary of the CPC Shandong Provincial Committee and First Political Commissar of the Shandong Military District, later becoming a member of the Central Advisory Commission.
In 1977, when Su Yiran took office as Shandong Party Secretary, he was diagnosed with gastric cancer and needed chemotherapy. From 1977 to 2021, Su Yiran survived for 44 years. After being diagnosed with gastric cancer, he did not give up his work to rest and recuperate; instead, bearing great pressure, he shouldered the heavy duties of Shandong Party Secretary, Governor and Military District Political Commissar.
Setting aside his status as a government official, he was a truly inspiring anti-cancer star. China is a major gastric-cancer country, with the largest number of gastric cancer patients in the world. Medical standards and conditions in 1977 were limited, and the fact that Su Yiran needed chemotherapy at that time means his cancer was not carcinoma in situ or early-stage disease, but at least progressed gastric cancer.
Public records show that Su Yiran suffered not only from gastric cancer but also from bladder cancer and cholecystitis. Over his life he underwent three major surgeries, once took three years of sick leave, and fought illness for nearly half a century. Such a successful anti-cancer survivor is rare. That he lived to 103—an age most people never reach—is proof enough that cancer is not necessarily a terminal illness, and that a cancer diagnosis does not mean certain death. As long as a patient has a strong will to survive and receives reasonable treatment, long-term survival is possible.
Many cancer patients collapse mentally after diagnosis and pass away quickly. I also often see patients who, upon getting cancer, quickly abandon their work to focus on recuperation, only to have treatment outcomes that are worse. Su Yiran was not broken by cancer; after the diagnosis, while tenaciously fighting the disease, he continued to live and work actively. Such willpower was a key factor in his anti-cancer success.
Although Su Yiran enjoyed better-guaranteed medical conditions than many, public reports show that quite a number of officials at the provincial-ministerial level and above also passed away quickly after a cancer diagnosis. So his survival to 103 despite being caught between two cancers reflects a combination of personal luck and perseverance.
After a cancer diagnosis, one should emerge from the shadow of cancer as soon as possible, quickly adapt to this change in life, respond actively, and not withdraw from society. I always advise cancer patients, during their recovery, to re-engage with society, return to work, and normalize their lives; this greatly benefits their recovery.
For cancer patients, working normally during recovery not only ensures that their economic resources and social support are not cut off, but also makes psychological pressure easier to release. Many patients, after diagnosis, give up work and isolate themselves; in the end they lose both their income and their peace of mind, and easily fall into depression. Depressive mood is an important factor affecting cancer patients’ quality of life and survival.
Moreover, after a cancer diagnosis, patients have the right—and the duty—to know their true health status. In practice, I often meet families who fear that their relative, upon learning of the cancer, will be unable to bear the blow and die quickly. This belief is wrong. With good communication skills, most cancer patients, after learning they have cancer, can accept the fact while at the same time igniting hope for survival.
The only being able to guard a person’s life around the clock is that person himself; however devoted the family, they cannot replace the patient. So most of the time I advise families to choose the right moment and gradually tell the patient the truth, while telling them more stories of anti-cancer stars to encourage them to build confidence and live and fight cancer actively. Most patients adjust their state within six months to two years to cope with the new life. If the patient is naturally optimistic and the doctor and family communicate skillfully, some patients accept the fact quickly and build a positive, optimistic mindset for fighting cancer.
Natural selection; the fit survive. In nature, only organisms with strong adaptability survive harsh environments. After cancer, only adaptable people can escape cancer’s clutches and survive long-term. As a patient, you must understand this truth: adjust your psychological state as soon as possible and fight cancer positively and optimistically. At the same time, if possible, learn more professional medical knowledge related to your own disease, so that when medical choices must be made you will not be at a loss, nor be misled by irresponsible bystanders.