Kitty Xu Ting Explained

Xu Ting
Birth Date:3 October 1990

Xu Ting (; 3 October 1990 – 7 September 2016), known as Kitty Xu Ting,[1] [2] was a Chinese actress and blogger who died of cancer in 2016. Previously known for her appearances in Dad Home and Lost in Macau, she was a popular blogger on the microblogging website Sina Weibo with 300,000 followers.[1] Her death received widespread press attention for her refusal to use modern medical treatments such as chemotherapy, in favor of Chinese traditional remedies.[3]

She was diagnosed with lymphoma, and prescribed chemotherapy treatment, which she declined to take for reasons of cost, and fear of the pain involved.[4] Instead, she chose traditional Chinese treatments such as acupuncture, cupping, gua sha and jiu sha.[2] Her condition worsened, and although she finally chose to take a course of chemotherapy, it was too late for the treatment to be effective, and she died on 7 September.[5]

Her death has caused much discussion within China about the relationship between and appropriateness of traditional Chinese and modern medical treatments, particularly on the social media site Sina Weibo, on which she had blogged about the progress of her disease.[1] [6]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Chinese actress Xu Ting dies from cancer after choosing traditional Chinese medicine over chemo. 16 September 2016. The Straits Times. 17 September 2016.
  2. Web site: Chinese Actress Kitty Xu Ting Dies from Cancer after Rejecting Chemotherapy. Hernandez. Vittorio. 16 September 2016. yibada.com. 17 September 2016.
  3. Web site: Actress dies of cancer at 26 after treating disease with alternative medicine. Osborne. Samuel. 16 September 2016. The Independent. en-GB. 17 September 2016.
  4. News: Chinese actor Xu Ting dies after choosing traditional medicine over chemotherapy. Davey. Melissa. 16 September 2016. The Guardian. en-GB. 0261-3077. 17 September 2016.
  5. Web site: Chinese Actress Dies of Cancer at 26. Chen. Xiaoli. 9 September 2016. www.shanghaidaily.com. 17 September 2016.
  6. Web site: Chinese actress' death sparks national debate over traditional medicine. Palazzo. Chiara. 16 September 2016. The Telegraph. 17 September 2016.