SINGAPORE: The aspiring chef was barely 18 when her world fell apart after being diagnosed with Stage 2 Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, a type of cancer that affects the body’s germ-fighting immune system, in 2014. Although Ms Faridah Ahmad had already been accepted into several culinary schools in Singapore, upon
Age-specific incidence rates refer to the number of new cancer cases measured by the population at risk for that age group.
Ms Jamie Ng Jin, a 25-year-old fashion designer who was diagnosed with Stage 2 breast cancer last year, said that this affected the type of conversations she could have with her friends. “If I have a mastectomy, that's a body part being removed. How am I going to feel? How is the scar going to look like? What is the healing process?” she said.
“I started taking pictures of myself post-op, and I saw something good there. I saw myself in a different light. I saw a person with a mastectomy scar who was still positive. Ultimately, their motivations for publicly documenting their battle against cancer stem from a desire to connect with others who are experiencing similar struggles.When Ms Arathi Devandran was diagnosed with Stage 2A breast cancer last year at the age of 31, she too sought a community with which she could share her troubles and be understood.
“Then there's all these questions about family - how are we going to have a family, and what happens if we do have a family and it comes back? “I just couldn't relate, and it made me even sadder and more depressed because then it made me feel like - ‘why am I the youngest one, why am I having this thing?’”
Its closed group chat currently comprises about 180 existing breast cancer survivors who regularly pose and answer each others’ questions, although usually under 10 people show up for physical meetings at the Breast Cancer Centre in Sin Ming, said Ms Hoo. Dr Poon Yi Ling Eileen, a consultant at the National Cancer Centre Singapore’s division of medical oncology, said: “Many young adults with cancer are keen to form a connection with other cancer patients, particularly if their cancer type is more uncommon.”
The NCCS also introduced a mobile application called AYA Bytes in April this year, which provides young cancer patients with specially curated health information, and a feature that allows them to track their moods and symptoms. “An improved psychological and mental state directly impacts compliance with treatments, healthy living, and positive health-seeking behaviour through adherence to follow-up checks with their doctors and an overall improved quality of life.”Physical and mental challenges aside, cost concerns can also weigh heavily on young patients who do not have as much savings as their older counterparts.
For 32-year-old Mr Tay Zhi Zhong, the Singapore Armed Forces had covered the bulk of his medical fees as he was diagnosed with Stage 3 nose cancer while he was a full-time national serviceman in 2011. For Ms Hoo, each chemotherapy session she attended in 2016 to treat her breast cancer cost more than S$2,000, and her mastectomy and breast reconstruction surgery cost about S$100,000.
For males, three out of the 10 most frequent incident cancers were prostate cancer, colon and rectum cancer and lung cancer - and the survival rate five years following diagnosis of these cancers were 89.0, 63.2 and 20.3 per cent respectively. With statistics from the registry showing a rise in overall cancer incidences every five-year period and worldwide studies indicating a concerning trend among younger adults, medical professionals warn that cancer should not be perceived to be an old person’s disease.Dr Pang of OncoCare said that smoking and excessive alcohol consumption increase the risk of developing cancers uniformly in most countries, including Singapore.
“Over the years, with urbanisation and economic growth, there's been an increase in the consumption of processed foods, sugary beverages, and red meat, all of which have been linked to a higher risk of certain cancers,” she added. The ministry also recommended Singaporeans discuss with their doctors the need for cancer screening based on their individual risk profile.Nearly nine years after her diagnosis, Ms Faridah has found a new mission in life - to build a career around helping others, especially young people.
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