Mrs. AI was diagnosed with a chordoma tumor measuring nearly 19 cm, based on a CT scan in mid-2020. However, her complaints had started five years prior. A biopsy revealed that it was a malignant tumor known as chordoma, an extremely rare type of cancer. Surgery was initially planned, but the tumor’s large size and the extensive damage it had caused to the tailbone and pelvis led doctors to cancel it. The risks were too great — from permanent paralysis to death. With no other options available, Mrs. AI eventually discovered ECCT and began using the device regularly starting in October 2020. Her experience with ECCT was extraordinary. The device caused an intense burning sensation, making her sweat profusely during the 15-minute sessions, which felt like hours. It also felt like being “electrocuted,” intensifying her pain. A few days after using the device, she experienced extreme bodily reactions — foul-smelling bowel movements, relentless gas, and white, fatty urine discharge. Despite the dramatic reactions, the pain started to subside, and an MRI scan showed that the tumor had shrunk significantly from 19 cm to 8 cm within six months. However, clinical improvements came slowly. Mrs. AI remained unable to sit or stand for the first six months. She took her first steps around the six-month mark, stopped using a catheter after 10 months, and remained in a wheelchair for about 2.5 years. Only after more than three years was she finally able to walk without it. Her latest MRI results show the tumor has continued to shrink.
Latest photo of Mrs. Qurotul Aini (May 24, 2025), five years after her initial diagnosis;
A: CT scan (June 16, 2020) showing a large sacral tumor measuring 15.6 x 18.6 x 12.6 cm that had destroyed the sacrum and coccyx, diagnosed as Sacro-Coccygeal Chordoma/Chondrosarcoma.
B: MRI of the same tumor (July 14, 2020).
C: MRI after 6 months of ECCT use (April 1, 2021).
D: MRI after 2.5 years of ECCT use (February 16, 2023).
Mrs. AI, full name Qurotul Aini, was carried into C-Care by her husband in late September 2020. As of May 2025, she can now walk relatively normally.
She had begun feeling discomfort and lower back pain as early as 2016. The symptoms came and went. She consulted midwives and gynecologists, but no abnormalities were found and she was advised to do light exercise. By 2019, the pain persisted intermittently. Due to her busy life as a housewife, she dismissed the symptoms.
In early 2020, she began to feel sharp pain at the base of her tailbone and had difficulty sitting, needing a cushion. Her buttocks felt like they were on fire, with severe inflammation. Sleep became difficult.
Her symptoms escalated — her left leg felt like it was detaching, she had severe pain, and difficulty with bowel movements. Her urination became minimal, as if blocked, and her stomach became bloated. A doctor diagnosed her with cystocele (a bladder prolapse) and recommended Kegel exercises, stating that surgery wouldn’t provide a permanent solution.
By mid-2020, her condition deteriorated further, especially at night, with her crying in pain. She stopped eating and only drank fluids. At the hospital, a catheter was inserted to help with urination and she underwent a CT scan the next day.
The CT scan result was a shock: a nearly 19 cm tumor had eroded her tailbone and pelvic bones, pressing against all lower abdominal organs and her anus. This explained her severe pain, leg numbness, and bowel/bladder issues.
In August 2020, she was scheduled for tumor removal at a major hospital in Jakarta. But just 2 hours before surgery, the doctors informed her that they would only perform a biopsy due to the high risk of permanent paralysis or death. After the biopsy, she lost movement and sensation in her feet — her lower body was paralyzed. She was sent home to await the biopsy results.
The biopsy confirmed it was chordoma, a rare malignant tumor originating from embryonic notochord remnants. It usually appears at the base of the skull or tailbone, mostly in individuals aged 40–70. The survival rate for inoperable tumors is less than 40% within five years.
Mrs. AI’s tumor was non-specific and already massive. Surgery was ruled out due to its size, invasion of the pelvis, and attachment to nearby organs. Faced with risks of permanent paralysis or death, she and her family chose to pursue alternative treatment.
After a long search, she found ECCT therapy offered by C-Care. Her husband consulted with a medical physics consultant, who was initially unsure if ECCT would help, since no similar case had been treated before.
The consultant explained that ECCT might help weaken the tumor and separate it from surrounding organs, but surgery would still be needed to remove dead tissue due to the tumor’s size. She was advised to try ECCT for 3–4 months and then re-evaluate.
Mrs. AI was given a blanket-shaped ECCT device, used while lying down — just 15 minutes, twice a day. However, the sessions felt like hours. The heat was intense and drenched her in sweat. A few days in, she experienced extreme detox reactions — black, foul-smelling stools, milky urine, and endless gas.
As she continued ECCT, her pain began to subside. Her numb legs started to regain sensation, although the sessions still felt like being shocked. After one month, she slowly improved, though still bedridden. After 6 months, her tailbone and leg pain were gone, and she could have bowel movements without gels. MRI results showed her tumor had shrunk from 19 cm to 8 cm — an exceptionally fast response, likely because the tumor was high-grade with poor differentiation, allowing the dead cells to be expelled more easily.
Though she still felt the tumor like it was “hanging” from her tailbone, it likely had detached from surrounding tissues. Still, Mrs. AI decided not to pursue surgery and continued with ECCT alone.
In her 7th month, she no longer needed the catheter after 10 months of use. For the first time since her paralysis post-biopsy, she stood and took a few steps with assistance. She also began physiotherapy to support nerve recovery, despite initial advice against it during active cancer stages.
Mrs. AI’s progress was largely off the radar during the pandemic. She only returned to C-Care 2.5 years later. By then, she still used a wheelchair but could cook and do housework. Her legs hadn’t fully recovered, and she walked slowly with a cane. MRI showed the tumor had continued shrinking, though at a slower pace.
Five years after her initial diagnosis, she reconnected with C-Care as an active participant in the Lavender Indonesia cancer survivor community. She now walks normally and has long been free of the wheelchair. Her incredible resilience and patience have paid off.
We wish continued health and strength to Mrs. AI (WS).
