<TABLE id=msgUN border=0 cellSpacing=3 cellPadding=0 width="100%"><TBODY><TR><TD id=msgUNsubj vAlign=top>
Coffeeshop Chit Chat - Colon Cancer</TD><TD id=msgunetc noWrap align=right>
Subscribe </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE class=msgtable cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="96%"><TBODY><TR><TD class=msg vAlign=top><TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%"><TBODY><TR class=msghead><TD class=msgbfr1 width="1%"> </TD><TD><TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0><TBODY><TR class=msghead><TD class=msgF width="1%" noWrap align=right>From: </TD><TD class=msgFname width="68%" noWrap>Raffles1823 <NOBR></NOBR> </TD><TD class=msgDate width="30%" noWrap align=right>12:04 am </TD></TR><TR class=msghead><TD class=msgT height=20 width="1%" noWrap align=right>To: </TD><TD class=msgTname width="68%" noWrap>ALL <NOBR></NOBR></TD><TD class=msgNum noWrap align=right> (1 of 9) </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR><TD class=msgleft rowSpan=4 width="1%"> </TD><TD class=wintiny noWrap align=right>21004.1 </TD></TR><TR><TD height=8></TD></TR><TR><TD class=msgtxt>http://www.asiaone.com/Health/Women%2527s%2BMatters/Cancer%2BCentre/Story/A1Story20081007-92158.html
MP recounts brush with colon cancer
By Tan Yi Hui
Five years ago, Ms Lee Bee Wah, MP for Ang Mo Kio GRC, started having irregular bowel movements, abdominal pains and an unusual amount of gas in her stomach. The pain was concentrated on the left side of her body.
The 48-year-old, who is also president of the Singapore Table-Tennis Association, says: 'I requested a colonoscopy and endoscopy. That was how my colon cancer was discovered.'
She had to remove 22cm of her colon. The colon and rectum form the large intestine and is the last part of the gastrointestinal tract. Colon cancer occurs when cancerous cells line the inner walls of the area.
Colonoscopy is the screening of the large intestine and it is done by inserting a fibre-optic cable called the colonoscope through the anus.
A tiny camera at the end allows the doctor to view the organ's interior.
About a week ago, Ms Lee recounted her brush with the disease to fellow GRC MP and Senior Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Balaji Sadasivan, who had colon surgery to remove a cancerous tumour on Sept 23.
According to doctors, colon or colorectal cancer is the most common cancer here, affecting one in 55 people. There have been almost 1,000 new cases diagnosed annually over the last few years. One in five sufferers are below 50, which marks a big jump from 20 years ago when only 5 per cent of those with colon cancer were under 50.
Singapore has one of the highest incidence of the disease in Asia, together with Japan, Taiwan and Australia.
==================
Singapore No 1 again
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
MP recounts brush with colon cancer
By Tan Yi Hui
Five years ago, Ms Lee Bee Wah, MP for Ang Mo Kio GRC, started having irregular bowel movements, abdominal pains and an unusual amount of gas in her stomach. The pain was concentrated on the left side of her body.
The 48-year-old, who is also president of the Singapore Table-Tennis Association, says: 'I requested a colonoscopy and endoscopy. That was how my colon cancer was discovered.'
She had to remove 22cm of her colon. The colon and rectum form the large intestine and is the last part of the gastrointestinal tract. Colon cancer occurs when cancerous cells line the inner walls of the area.
Colonoscopy is the screening of the large intestine and it is done by inserting a fibre-optic cable called the colonoscope through the anus.
A tiny camera at the end allows the doctor to view the organ's interior.
About a week ago, Ms Lee recounted her brush with the disease to fellow GRC MP and Senior Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Balaji Sadasivan, who had colon surgery to remove a cancerous tumour on Sept 23.
According to doctors, colon or colorectal cancer is the most common cancer here, affecting one in 55 people. There have been almost 1,000 new cases diagnosed annually over the last few years. One in five sufferers are below 50, which marks a big jump from 20 years ago when only 5 per cent of those with colon cancer were under 50.
Singapore has one of the highest incidence of the disease in Asia, together with Japan, Taiwan and Australia.
==================
Singapore No 1 again
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
