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Published on September 10, 2007

"If we use high technology to cure a cancer patient, the cost of treatment will be higher. So we have to find the best and cheapest way for the patient," said Arkom.

Arkom, deputy director of the National Cancer Institute, was last month declared the winner of the Eminent Scientist 2007 Asia Award by the International Research Promotion Council (IRPC) for his outstanding comparative research that helped cancer patients reduce the side-effects of chemotherapy by using a cheaper drug.

His research concluded that medical workers should use cheaper drugs for patients and this would also save the country from having to import expensive drugs.

The IRPC is based in the United Kingdom and was established to provide research and scientific incentives in developing and underdeveloped countries in the Asia-Pacific.

Arkom is one of 11 scientists around the world who have devoted themselves to research into the treatment of difficult diseases like cancer.

He graduated from Cebu Institute of Medicine in the Philippines and worked as an intern at the faculty of medicine in Mahidol University's Ramathibodi Hospital in 1976. He later concentrated on treating cancer patients.

"My first case was a cervical cancer patient. That was a bad experience for me because the smell was so bad. But my first memorable case was a patient with lymphoma [cancer of the lymphatic system]," Arkom recalled.

Arkom saw the patient when he came to the hospital at around midnight and asked to be admitted. The patient had severe symptoms and could not be treated.

Almost all beds in the hospital were full and Arkom had to decide whether to accept the patient or not. If he did, it might mean there would be no place for other patients who could be treated.

"Early the next morning, I was blamed because I admitted him," said Arkom.

He took on the case and treated the patient for a period. When he first saw the patient, he did not believe that his condition would improve, but before too long the patient was able to return home.

Arkom then worked at Phramongkutklao Hospital for three years before joining the National Cancer Institute as an oncologist. But before long he was headed abroad again for further studies.

Arkom has received grants to conduct his cancer research from several international organisations, including Deutscher Akademischer Austausch Dienst (German Academic Exchange Service), the World Health Organisation and the British Council.

Arkom has spent more than half his life studying abroad, including from 1981 to 1998. He could have settled and worked in the United States or the United Kingdom, but there was one thing that made him come back home.

"My father always told me that I have to come back and never leave the motherland," he said, explaining how he decided to stay in Thailand because of his father - a teacher who taught him to serve his country.

Arkom started his work by introducing concepts he had learned at Harvard, like "social marketing" for cancer-prevention programmes in Thai society.

He said the first thing that could help to prevent cancer was knowledge, but at that time most Thais did not have any knowledge to protect themselves from cancer. Thai society needs some mechanism to handle this problem.

"To prevent the prevalence of cancer among Thais, we have to start from distributing knowledge to people, persuading people to check their body for cancer at an earlier stage. But until now we have focused only on treatment, never thinking about prevention by giving knowledge " he said.

Cancer also struck Arkom's mother and left him in the tough situation of treating her himself.

"Before I decided to treat my mum, I cried for some time. I was afraid until my younger brother told me not to worry but just go ahead and perhaps we might be lucky," he said.

He did his best for his mother but she finally passed away.

"'You did not have to do so much for me' was the last sentence my mum spoke to me," Arkom recalled. "This is life."

Nowadays, he has more understanding for cancer patients and their relatives who yearn for a treatment that will give them a new chance at life.

Arkom is still looking for cheaper ways and the best practice to treat cancer patients. He will never abandon them, for this is his mission.

Ponphon Sarnsamak

The Nation