"Hi Doc" CME Empowerment Series

“Hi Doc, should I worry about this skin lump?”

Skin rashes, lumps and bumps are common complaints seen in clinic, and while the majority are benign, it is important not to miss malignant ones.

Skin cancer in Singapore in on the rise, and the early recognition, diagnosis and prompt treatment will yield better cancer outcomes for patients.

In this “Hi Doc” CME series, we aim to recapitulate the flow of the patient starting with the chief complaint. Dr Mark Tang, dermatologist, will review the common skin cancers in Asians, with a focus on diagnosis and management pearls. Dr Richard Quek, PCC medical oncologist, will discuss systemic treatment options in advanced/ unresectable skin cancers.

Speakers

Dr Mark Tang

Senior Consultant, Dermatology
The Skin Specialists & Laser Clinic

Dr Richard Quek 

Senior Consultant, Medical Oncology
Parkway Cancer Centre

“Hi Doc, my Dark Mole is growing.”

Melanoma is a highly aggressive form of skin cancer, common in the West but rare in Asia. Due to our cosmopolitan society and large resident Caucasian population, it is likely we clinicians in Singapore will see more of such cases. Recognition, early diagnosis and prompt treatment will lead to better melanoma outcomes in our patients.

In this “Hi Doc” CME series, we aim to recapitulate the flow of the patient starting with the chief complaint. Dr Dennis Lim, surgeon, will review common melanoma presentations as well as advanced surgical techniques for local disease and sentinel lymph node biopsy. Dr Richard Quek, PCC medical oncologist, will discuss systemic adjuvant and palliation treatment options in melanoma.

Speakers

Dr Dennis Lim

Head and Neck Cancer Surgeon
Dennis Lim Surgery

Dr Richard Quek

Senior Consultant, Medical Oncology
Parkway Cancer Centre

“Hi Doc, I have a persistent cough.”

Cough is a common symptom, and can be a manifestation of nasal, gastric and/or lung issues. Join our respiratory, and oncology doctors (medical and radiation oncology) as they discuss the diagnostic approach and management of cough.

Cough may also be one of the presenting symptoms of lung cancer. This usually improves with treatment, but can recur. We will discuss cases and illustrate possible differentials of recurrent cough in lung cancer patients. We will also discuss management of cough due to radiation treatment, and what can be done to mitigate this and other side effects.

Speakers

Dr Chin Tan Min

Senior Consultant, Medical Oncology
Parkway Cancer Centre

Dr Kenneth Chan

Consultant, Respiratory Physician
Respiratory Medical Associates

Dr Ivan Tham

Senior Consultant, Radiation Oncology
Parkway Cancer Centre

“Hi Doc, I have blood in my vomit.”

Gastric cancer is an important differential diagnosis for patients presenting with haematemesis. In Singapore, it is the seventh and ninth most common cancer in men and women, respectively. Approximately two-thirds of patients with gastric cancer have non-metastatic disease that remains curable. Prompt evaluation and diagnosis are crucial. Depending on its stage, endoscopic or surgical resection remains the foundation of curative therapy. Administration of peri-operative or adjuvant chemotherapy may further improve survival in selected groups of patients.

Speakers

Dr Zee Ying Kiat

Senior Consultant, Medical Oncology
Parkway Cancer Centre

Dr Kieron Lim

Senior Consultant, Gastroenterology and Hepatology
Kieron Lim Gastroenterology

Dr Chew Soo Ping

Senior Consultant, General Surgeon
S P Chew Surgery

“Hi Doc, I have a Thyroid Swelling.”

Thyroid swellings are common in most populations. The causes of thyroid swelling are many and in most cases non-cancerous. The importance of differentiating the benign and malignant lesions is important. The current treatment protocols – surgery, radio-iodine, and in some cases chemotherapy.

Speakers

Dr Lim Hong Liang

Senior Consultant, Medical Oncology
Parkway Cancer Centre

A/Prof Luke Tan

Senior Consultant, ENT, Head & Neck Surgery
Luke Tan ENT-Head & Neck-Sinus and Thyroid Surgery Centre

“Hi Doc, my knee is hurting badly.”

Pain in a joint like the knee, especially in the teen, is oftentimes dismissed as a sports injury or growing pains. X-rays are often normal and the patient is seen some time later with advanced disease. In retrospect there are often tell-tale red-flag signs of unrelenting chronicity, especially at night with attendant weight or appetite loss.

In this CME we (1) focus on the patient and symptoms, (2) highlight the clinical approach to joint pains, (3) pitfalls of management and the (4) multidisciplinary approach in musculoskeletal oncology (tumors of the bones and joints).

Speakers

Dr Richard Quek

Senior Consultant, Medical Oncology
Parkway Cancer Centre

Dr Suresh Nathan Saminathan

Senior Consultant, Orthopaedic Surgeon
Limb Salvage And Revision Arthroplasty

“Hi doc, I have lumps on my neck.”

The talk will discuss Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma (DLBCL), the most common lymphoma in adults. Previously, this is known to be a single disease entity, however recent understanding showed us we can further divide DLBCL into different subtype which has prognostic and therapeutic implications. We will discuss how to classify different subtypes of DLBC in clinical practise and how different subtypes affected the myriad clinical presentation of DLBCL. Finally, we will discuss on the therapeutic implication and challenges in the treatment of DLBCL.

Speaker

Dr Lee Yuh Shan

Senior Consultant, Haematology
Parkway Cancer Centre

“Hi prof, something is growing in my belly.”

In this concluding “Understanding Cancer and Beyond 2020” CME session, we take on the challenging topic of retroperitoneal sarcomas (RP STS). RP STS are rare tumors, with liposarcoma being the most common.

Most RP STS remain asymptomatic or are discovered incidentally. Accurate histology, multi-disciplinary pre treatment evaluations are crucial for best patient outcomes. Surgery remains the standard of care in many of these tumors.

The roles of adjuvant and neoadjuvant radiation and chemotherapy are controversial but evolving and best discussed on a case-by-case basis in a specialised multi-disciplinary sarcoma meeting.

In this session, we will provide an overview and the surgical principles in the treatment of RP STS, and discuss the roles of chemotherapy and radiation in a series of case discussions.

Speaker

Professor Abu Rauff

Consultant Surgeon
Surgery A

Dr Melissa Teo

General Surgeon and Surgical Oncologist
Melissa Teo Surgery

Dr Lee Kuo Ann

Senior Consultant – Radiation Oncology
Parkway Cancer Centre

Dr Richard Quek

Senior Consultant – Medical Oncology
Parkway Cancer Centre