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.
Dr Lim Soon Thye, consultant oncologist at the National Cancer Centre of Singapore, says: 'The incidence of colorectal cancer has been steadily increasing in both males and females over the last 20 years.' He adds that Chinese are more susceptible to the disease.
Apart from possible changes in diet and lifestyle, experts are still unsure of the reasons behind the increase. Cancer can also develop from polyps - benign lumps on the inner wall of the colon and rectum - when these are not removed.
Dr Lim adds: 'The incidence of colorectal cancer starts to increase rapidly from around the age of 50 years and screening is therefore usually targeted at this group of the population.'
People around this age and above are advised to go for regular check-ups. Screenings may range from a colonoscopy every decade to an annual faecal occult blood test (FOBT).
FOBT comes in a DIY kit that can detect traces of blood in the stool. Once confirmed, further examinations can be done to determine if it is caused by cancer.
Ms Lee, who has been having annual full-body check-ups since the age of 35, detected her cancer early and has been going for a colonoscopy every two years in case of a recurrence.
According to Dr Lim, the five-year survival rate for colorectal cancer is usually high if diagnosed in the early stages. This ranges from 70 to 90 per cent of patients.
Treatment is usually surgery to remove the cancerous part, followed by chemotherapy, depending on the stage.
General symptoms of the disease include irregular bowel movements and conditions such as constipation, bloody stool or abdominal cramps and pain.
Some common misconceptions highlighted by Dr Lim include taking for granted that blood in the stool is caused by piles and not seeking treatment.
Some people also think that eating more vegetables can prevent a recurrence of cancer, but experts say more studies need to be done to prove this.
But Ms Lee is not taking any chances. She has adopted a healthier diet, cutting down on fried meat, salt, soya sauce and sugar intake.
She also alternates her breakfast between brown rice porridge and rolled oats with lemon juice and fruit. She also drinks a glass of vegetable juice every morning.
She says of her condition now: 'Five years have passed. So far so good.'
[email protected]
This story was first published in thesundaytimes, Oct 5, 2008.
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.
Dr Lim Soon Thye, consultant oncologist at the National Cancer Centre of Singapore, says: 'The incidence of colorectal cancer has been steadily increasing in both males and females over the last 20 years.' He adds that Chinese are more susceptible to the disease.
Apart from possible changes in diet and lifestyle, experts are still unsure of the reasons behind the increase. Cancer can also develop from polyps - benign lumps on the inner wall of the colon and rectum - when these are not removed.
Dr Lim adds: 'The incidence of colorectal cancer starts to increase rapidly from around the age of 50 years and screening is therefore usually targeted at this group of the population.'
People around this age and above are advised to go for regular check-ups. Screenings may range from a colonoscopy every decade to an annual faecal occult blood test (FOBT).
FOBT comes in a DIY kit that can detect traces of blood in the stool. Once confirmed, further examinations can be done to determine if it is caused by cancer.
Ms Lee, who has been having annual full-body check-ups since the age of 35, detected her cancer early and has been going for a colonoscopy every two years in case of a recurrence.
According to Dr Lim, the five-year survival rate for colorectal cancer is usually high if diagnosed in the early stages. This ranges from 70 to 90 per cent of patients.
Treatment is usually surgery to remove the cancerous part, followed by chemotherapy, depending on the stage.
General symptoms of the disease include irregular bowel movements and conditions such as constipation, bloody stool or abdominal cramps and pain.
Some common misconceptions highlighted by Dr Lim include taking for granted that blood in the stool is caused by piles and not seeking treatment.
Some people also think that eating more vegetables can prevent a recurrence of cancer, but experts say more studies need to be done to prove this.
But Ms Lee is not taking any chances. She has adopted a healthier diet, cutting down on fried meat, salt, soya sauce and sugar intake.
She also alternates her breakfast between brown rice porridge and rolled oats with lemon juice and fruit. She also drinks a glass of vegetable juice every morning.
She says of her condition now: 'Five years have passed. So far so good.'
[email protected]
This story was first published in thesundaytimes, Oct 5, 2008.
