Tongan Dr Simione Lolohea (48) a surgeon in Hamilton is one of only two doctors in New Zealand offering hot chemotherapy, a rare and controversial cancer treatment. 

In recognition of his work, he was invested as a Commander of the Royal Order of the Crown of Tonga, during celebrations of King Tupou VI’s Coronation in June-July this year

Dr Lolohea is offering patients a fighting chance in life, with the alternative being a series of palliative treatments.

The treatment involves chemotherapy that is heated 42°C, which is used to flush out cancers that the surgeon is not able to remove during surgery, he told Donna Lee of Fairfax NZ.

This is where cancer has spread inside the abdomen area and normally for those cancers there is no other treatments.

“You just have palliative chemotherapy. There's no chance of a cure.”

Braemar Hospital Chief Executive Paul Bennett said his hospital is the only private facility in the country that offers this treatment.

The hospital started offering this service in 2009 and saw between four to five patients annually. The surgery takes six to 17 hours with Dr Lolohea having also trained a second surgeon in Waikato, he said.

From Ofu in Vava’u, Dr Lolohea said his father passed away in his last year at medical school, and the loss drove him even more to complete his studies.

In his first year as a doctor, he saved to get his family to New Zealand. He brought them from Tonga including his mother, and siblings.

"We didn't have much growing up, we didn't live in poverty or anything. But we lived a simple life. In my village you either become a doctor, a lawyer, a teacher or an accountant. I picked a doctor. No real reason just thought it would be a good job."

He said seeing his patients improve and learning more about how his work can help people keeps him motivated and interested in the medical profession.

"I learn more from my patients than they do from me. That is why I am still here."

He visits Tonga twice a year and helps out by training medical staff at Vaiola Hospital.