Doctor Chen Dawei is treating an elderly patient on a boat. When the fishermen are very sick, they call a doctor from a small clinic. The patient, Xu Changlian, and his wife Wang Jinnan both have cancer, the exact causes are unknown. Wang’s cancer has worsened; she has given up treatment and is no longer able to speak. The couple takes care of each other at home. In February 2013, the Chinese government acknowledged for the first time the existence of 'cancer villages' linked to pollution from hazardous chemicals.