Under the age of 45? What younger women need to know about breast cancer

​NCIS is one of the partners of this year’s national breast cancer awareness month campaign, It’s Time For Breast Health. Led by the National Cancer Centre Singapore, the goal of the campaign is to encourage women to get active, on top of doing self-checks and getting screened.

She had aggressive breast cancer at 37. Now she urges younger women not to neglect breast checks

Dr Lim Siew Eng, Senior Consultant, Department of Haematology-Oncology, NCIS, discussed about triple-negative breast cancer, an aggressive cancer type that can afflict younger women. At NCIS, triple-negative breast cancers made up 8 per cent, or 164 patients, of all breast cancer cases seen between 2013 and 2017. Dr Lim also discussed the findings from a Phase Three clinical trial (IMpassion130) which has found that for advanced triple-negative breast cancer patients who test positive for a protein called PD-L1, adding a new immunotherapy drug to chemotherapy reduced the risk of the disease worsening by 38 per cent, compared to using just chemotherapy alone. Moreover, this was found to improve overall survival by seven months and increase the patients’ survival to 25 months.  
 
TODAY also featured NCIS patient Ms Wu Ying Ying who discovered that she has Stage 1 triple-negative breast cancer three years ago and had successfully undergone surgery to remove the tumour, followed by chemotherapy and radiotherapy that lasted around six months.

关注乳腺癌‘粉红平板支撑大挑战’部长议员共襄盛举 (Minister and Members of Parliament join the “Pink Plank Challenge” to raise breast cancer awareness)

The NCIS organised a virtual Pink Plank Challenge, which saw the participation of Minister Grace Fu, Minister of State Sun Xueling, and MP Tin Pei Ling, to raise awareness of breast cancer and raise funds for needy cancer patients.
 
During the session, Minister Fu said that breast cancer is the most common cancer that affects Singaporean women, but it is easily preventable and treatable if detected early, and reminded women to go for regular screenings.

曾以为癌症是绝症而产生恐惧 三阴性乳腺癌生存者鼓励女性做检查 (Previously thought cancer was a terminal disease – Triple-negative breast cancer survivor urges screening for women)

​Lianhe Zaobao reported on a NCIS patient who survived triple-negative breast cancer. Dr Lim Siew Eng, Senior Consultant, Department of Haematology-Oncology, NCIS, commented that the risk of relapse for triple-negative breast cancer is low, and it could be considered as full recovery if there is no symptom for more than five years.

• Shin Min Daily News, 24 September 2020, Page 8 (PDF, 630KB)
  
• Lianhe Wanbao, 25 September 2020, Page 4 (PDF, 543KB)
  

Hearing to assess damages hospital is liable to pay

​Prof Goh Boon Cher, Senior Consultant at NCIS, was asked to provide an independent expert opinion during the hearings of a negligence lawsuit against CGH.

HPV：子宫颈癌背后的沉默病毒 (HPV: The silent virus behind cervical cancer)

​Article contribution by Dr Ida Ismail-Pratt, Consultant, Division of Gynaecological Oncology, NCIS, on cervical cancer and the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccination in Singapore. She welcomed MOH’s move to roll out the free national school-based HPV vaccination programme for females in secondary one, and the implementation of tests to detect cervical cancer early.

NUS and NCIS researchers apply novel digital medicine platform to give lymphoma patients a new ray of hope

AI platform aids treatment for relapsed lymphoma

​Researchers from the National University Cancer Institute, Singapore (NCIS) and Cancer Science Institute at NUS developed an AI-driven digital medicine platform called Quadratic Phenotypic Optimisation Platform (QPOP), to help doctors make better clinical decisions when treating cancer patients. 

• Lianhe Zaobao, 25 July 2020, Pg 8 (PDF, 386KB)
  

不痛不痒，还是别低估皮肤癌 (Skin cancer cannot be underestimated even if there is no pain or itch)

​Dr Sue Ann Ho Ju Ee, Consultant in Dermatology at NUH, contributed an article to share about skin cancer and highlighted that it is one of the ten most common cancers in Singapore. 

New hope for patients with lung cancer

​A study conducted by Roche which examined the combined treatment of immunotherapy and chemotherapy and the effectiveness of the immunotherapy drug atezolizumab for patients with advanced stage small cell lung cancer had shown to reduce the risk of death by 30 per cent. Dr Ross Soo, Senior Consultant at the NCIS Haematology-Oncology department, commented that the approval of atezolizumab provides a new immunotherapy treatment option for patients in Singapore. He shared that his team’s experience with the use of the drug and chemotherapy in patients has been positive and favourable.

Covid-19-induced blood clots: What to know if you have diabetes, hypertension or other health issues

​Dr Yap Eng Soo (Senior Consultant, Department of Haematology-Oncology) explained that it is assumed that Covid-19 damages the lining of the blood vessels and also increases blood clotting protein levels, thus leading to the formation of blood clots. Even without Covid-19, the risk of blood clots is higher for those with chronic conditions, such as diabetes and hypertension. According to Dr Yap, these patients should comply with instructions on taking their medications, not just to reduce the risk of blood clots should they contract Covid-19, but also to prevent general complications from a worsening of their chronic conditions as a result of non-compliance to medication.

Dr Yap mentioned that patients hospitalised with Covid-19 who are assessed to be at high risk for developing blood clots (e.g. reduced mobility, active cancer) or Covid-19 patients who are severely ill and admitted to intensive care would be started on preventive blood thinners. However, Covid-19 patients with underlying diabetes and hypertension who are not hospitalised, such as those with mild symptoms at community care facilities, do not need to start blood thinning medications.

Hospitals may resume elective procedures in gradual manner

​In a report on elective procedures in hospitals being put on hold to free up capacity for Covid-19 patients, MOH said that they will continue to study the gradual resumption of services in a calibrated manner. Prof Chng Wee Joo, Director of NCIS, commented that non-essential appointments such a routine health screening have been postponed till between June and September, and NCIS patients on long term, remission or maintenance cancer treatments have had the frequency of their appointments reviewed, and home delivery and telemedicine arranged. The number of telemedicine cases had risen from an average of 13 cases (before the Covid-19 outbreak) to 67 cases in April, and NCIS currently makes about 300 medicine home delivery trips a month compared to only 12 trips during pre-Covid-19 times. 

Tapping AI to battle Covid-19

​The National University Hospital and Bot MD launched the NUHS-Bot MD A.I. clinical assistant app for frontline medical staff to instantly search hospital specific information including COVID-19 guidelines and operational directives. The Straits Times featured remarks from Dr Jen Wei Ying from the Department of Haematology-Oncology at NCIS who shared how it aids her in looking for Covid-19 clinical workflows, contact information and latest operational directives instantly. Bot MD is also working with the Tan Tock Seng Hospital and Integrated Health Information Systems (IHiS) to provide real-time visibility of the hospital’s ground operations.

借彼疫战此疫 经历沙斯之后 (After experiencing the SARS epidemic)

​Ms Noor Melati Binte Ahmad, Nurse Clinician at National University Cancer Institute, Singapore, shared her experience when she was a young staff nurse at NUH when she was infected with the SARS virus during the SARS epidemic in 2003.  She shared that her mother’s exact words were if she survived SARS, she could survive in any similar situation and this has keep her positive with the COVID19 pandemic.

及早发现结肠直肠癌 别轻视排便变化 (Early detection of colorectal cancer)

​A/Prof Tan Ker Kan and Asst Prof Chong Choon Seng from NCIS Division of Surgical Oncology (Colorectal Surgery) gave clinical comments on public awareness and common misconceptions on colorectal cancer. They shared that some patients were unaware that they had cancer as they only experienced mild or no symptoms in the early stages. The article was part of a campaign initiative from a group of students from the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information.