Tag Archives: cancer

Processed meats - such as bacon, sausages and ham - do cause cancer, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Its report said 50g of processed meat a day - less than two slices of bacon - increased the chance of developing colorectal cancer by 18%. Meanwhile, it said red meats were "probably carcinogenic" but there was limited evidence.

Our reader came across a very unfortunate case of a Singaporean wife who had written to the government's REACH web portal to complain about the treatment that she and her husband had received at the Singapore General Hospital (SGH). According to the wife, Mrs Mala, her husband had been diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer. Doctors had failed to spot the cancer until it was too late to treat despite 3 CT scans over the course of 6 months. When the couple tried to demand answers from doctors at SGH, they were brushed off and told that it would not have made a difference even if the cancer had been detected early.

44 year-old Goh Hoon Tiong, a father of 3 children - a daughter, 7, and 2 sons, 10 and 13 - used to be the sole breadwinner of his family. Since the children's mother walked out on the family 5 years ago, Mr Goh had been holding down 2 jobs as a cleaner and dishwasher so as to raise his children. He also received some help from the Government.

This message serves more as an advisory than anything else. As most of my closer friends are probably aware, my dad is currently fighting a losing battle against stage four pancreatic cancer. The cancer has become life limiting and we are looking at anything from a couple of weeks to (hopefully) two months. The medical bill he had to foot came out to about S$85k and AIA refused to pay a single cent, even though their agent made a mistake by telling us that we would be able to claim fully. We have appealed repeatedly and this letter is the latest outcome.

61 year-old Zeng Guo Yuan is a familiar political face to Singaporeans. But despite being dressed in his iconic white robes, Zeng, who recently underwent surgery to remove his nose because of nasal cancer, is a former shadow of himself.

A netizen sent us two photos of her latest cancer pills which cost her close to $5000 and it will only last three weeks! One tiny bill effectively costs almost $250... Imagine chalking up $5000 of medication every three weeks...the total amount is mind-boggling.

Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong underwent a successful surgery for prostate cancer today (Nov 22), according to a news release issued by the office of ESM Goh. His doctor, Dr Sim Hong Gee, a senior consultant urologist in Gleneagles Hospital and visiting consultant at Singapore General Hospital (SGH), said Mr Goh is expected to make a full recovery as the cancer was localised and detected early.

When Madam Frances Sng saw the double lines on the pregnancy test kit, she was ecstatic. She and her husband, Mr Khoo Mun Seng, had been trying for a baby for three years. But their joy was short-lived. "Twelve days to be exact," recalls Madam Sng, 37, who was then working in a bank. She found out that she had Stage 4 breast cancer after going through a series of medical check-ups following her visit to a private obstetrician and gynaecologist.

Things were looking well for Mr Alam Shah, who had found a job as a construction supervisor at an interior design firm, after working here for four years as a manual labourer. The 31-year-old was two months into his new job, earning S$1,200 a month, with a bride waiting for him in Bangladesh, until one word shattered his dreams: Cancer. Doctors gave him less than a year to live, if the disease was left untreated. Other employers might have sent Mr Alam, a work-permit holder, home once he was deemed medically fit to travel, but his employer, Archetype, decided otherwise. It is now trying to raise funds for his medical treatment, estimated to cost about S$60,000.

If a healthy society is what we truly aim for, then we could start by having a licence for smokers. An amount of $500 a year could be added to a smoker's income tax if he is working. If he does not pay income tax, have a family member pay for him; or he can buy a monthly licence at the post office or other outlets. Smokers caught without a licence should be fined $20, payable at any ATM.