Help your doc control cancer

It first started with experiencing occasional tightness in my chest which was accompanied by breathing difficulties.

I began to worry so I started visiting the state hospital in United Arab Emirates and consulted several doctors but they were unable to help me diagnose my illness.

Hence I decided to try doctors outside the state to conduct more extensive examinations. And then I found out there was a cancerous tumor on the upper side of my right lung which blocks the trachea of my lung. By then, I was already in phase 4 of the cancer stage and I had to seek treatment immediately.

There were several hospitals and doctors, all outside the state, which I could choose from. But having heard of Mount Elizabeth Hospital’s Dr Ang Peng Tiam and his excellent treatment, I specifially requested to be sent here to seek treatment from Dr Ang – a decision I have never regretted.

In light of my urgent condition, the hospital spared no time and sent an ambulance to fetch me from the airport and admitted me into the ward section immediately, in thelate hours on 5 October last year.

The following morning, I was greeted by an optimistic Dr Ang who explained the treatment stages thoroughly to me and even comforted me frequently. Such words of comfort from Dr Ang boosted my confidence level significantly as they presented to me greater hope and optimism.

Although later tests revealed that the disease has already begun to spread to my right gland, liver and right thigh, I was confident that Dr Ang would be able to make things right again.

A positive outlook

As I realised later, psychological confidence is a very important factor towards healing too.

My treatment started on 9 October, with meeting Dr Ang fi rst. He told me that unlike other patients, almost all of whom looked afraid, I was one of the rare few that seemed so spiritually enthusiastic to receive my first dose. My treatment consisted of chemotherapy doses which can help control the disease by 60 per cent.

I believe my confidence in Dr Ang contributed significantly towards the other 40 per cent as well, to control the disease.

My diet, another critical factor, has also changed drastically – turning to eating many different vegetables and fruits every day, for breakfast, lunch and dinner.The items range from cabbage, tomatoes, wild berries and green apples. For example, a cup of fresh carrot juice every day is a must-have for me.

There are many vegetables and fruits which are able to prevent various diseases and particularly for my case, bringing cancer further away from me.

Speaking from my personal experience, fruits and vegetables are indeed very helpful. On top of that, I would go for daily walking and running exercises, day or night.

Following the consistent treatment of chemotherapy doses, my healthier diet, dedicated exercise routines and not forgetting the important psychological comfort, the proportion of cancer cells in my body has plummeted to 18.9 per cent from its initial 202 per cent.

I am 35 and my advice to every cancer patient out there is that you should accept the disease which has fallen upon you and follow the saying: “For every ailment, there is a cure.”

Instead of letting the world come tumbling down on you, continue your daily life as usual, like how it was like before the disease.By creating such optimism, then you would be giving yourself as well as your doctor an increased opportunity of you recovering successfully from the disease.

A healing partnership

Dr Ang Peng Tiam, Mr Khaled's doctor, tells us how patients can help their doctors and be active partners in their own healing

Can you tell us a little about how you decided on Mr Khaled's treatment plan?

When Mr Khaled first arrived in Singapore, he was breathless, even at rest, as there was a tumour strategically located adjacent to a major airway and blood vessel.

He needed a 100 per cent oxygen mask in order to get enough oxygen into his system. I called upon the radiation oncologist as well as a respiratory physician for their views on how best to deal with the problem.

After considering all the options, I decided to proceed with chemotherapy, as the cancer had spread to many sites. In the event that he did not respond to the chemotherapy, my fallback position was to offer radiation to that site.

He wrote about how a patient can help a doctor control cancer. Do you think this is true? Can a patient really make a difference to the outcome?

Yes. Caring for a cooperative patient makes our job easier and can help the patient recover faster. I always tell patients that my success is their success and my failure is their failure. As such, we must work together in fi ghting against the cancer. Some patients harm themselves by continuing to smoke or adopting diets which may be harmful to their health.

Some patients stress the importance of diets. Yet other patients say that 'Dr Ang says I can eat anything!' What is your view?

I always tell my patients to eat and be happy! A sensible diet which ensures adequate nutrition is all that is needed. Taking organic food, vegetarian diets or avoiding certain foods such as diary products has not been shown to influence outcome.

Dr Ang Peng Tiam
Medical Director
Senior Consultant Medical Oncologist and Physician
MBBS, MMed (Internal Medicine),
MRCP (United Kingdom), FRCP
(Edinburgh), FRCP (London),
FAMS (Medical Oncology), FACP (USA)