A Protection against Cancer seminar hosted by Parkway Cancer Centre covered common adult cancers and how treatment is now more accessible to all.
Nearly 80 people attended the Protection against Cancer seminar held at Conrad Centennial Singapore. Dr Tan Wu Meng, Specialist in Medical Oncology and Consultant at Parkway Cancer Centre, explained that, to battle cancer, we need to know more about it, and to know early.
The first step to fighting cancer is screening. The aim is to detect cancer early, so that treatment can be administered early and give the best possible chance of a full recovery.
Treatment of a Stage 1 cancer is generally easier than treatment for a Stage 4 (advanced) cancer. Some cancers can be treated just with surgery in the early stages, whereas later stages may require additional treatments such as chemotherapy. Chemotherapy can be administered via intravenous drip, oral medication, or with an injection.
Other forms of treatment include radiotherapy (using radiation to destroy cancer cells), hormone therapy (for prostate cancer and some forms of breast cancer), targeted therapy, and the latest, immunotherapy (using drugs to direct our immune system to fight cancer cells).
In the Q & A session that followed, Dr Tan said that early screening is even more important if you have a family history of cancer. It is helpful to find a doctor whom you are comfortable with and can trust. You should share your medical history and family history, so the doctor can assess your risk profile.
Cancer treatment can be costly. However, the Singapore Government has introduced the new MediShield Life insurance scheme to help patients offset some of the cost. Some of the benefits are:
To find out more about the enhancements of the MediShield Life plan, visit: https://www.cpf.gov.sg/Members/Schemes/schemes/healthcare/medishield-life