• Food
  • Family
  • Beauty & Health
  • Style
  • Great Women
  • Events/Win
  • Food
    • Eating Out
    • Cooking Tips
    • Festive Food
    • Asian Recipes
    • Food
    • Celebrity Recipes
    • Dessert Recipes
    • Healthy Recipes
    • Quick & Easy Recipes
    • Western Recipes
  • Family
    • Family
    • Save Money
    • Parenting
    • Sex & Marriage
    • Travel
  • Beauty & Health
    • Beauty & Health
    • Skincare
    • Makeup
    • Hair
    • Awards
    • Diet & Nutrition
    • Fitness
    • Wellness
  • Spa Awards 2022
  • Style
  • Great Women
    • Career
    • Great Women of Our Time
    • Real Life
  • Entertainment
  • EVENTS/WIN
  • #SchoolForLife
  • Hair Awards
  • Great Escape
  • Explore Singapore
  • Also available at:
Privacy Menu
SPH Media

Copyright © 2022 SPH Media Limited. Co. Regn. No. 202120748H. All rights reserved.

  • Food
  • Family
  • Beauty & Health
  • Style
  • Great Women
  • Events/Win

Beauty & Health

“It’s Always A Shock To Hear That You Have Cancer. In My Case It Was Cervical CancerR...

Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Post Type Selectors
Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Post Type Selectors
Beauty & Health

“It’s Always A Shock To Hear That You Have Cancer. In My Case It Was Cervical Cancer”

Can you even imagine what it would be like to be diagnosed with stage 2 cervical cancer aged 35 with two young children? Teri Choong shares her story.

by Natalya Molok  /   May 31, 2019

Can you even imagine what it would be like to be diagnosed with Stage 2 cervical cancer aged 35 with two young children? Teri Choong, 49, the Regional Director of Corporate Affairs at an MNC, shares her story:

I’m not going to lie; my cancer diagnosis came as a shock to me. I think anyone who has received news that they have any kind of cancer will always get a shock to their system. I was just silent for a good five to eight minutes when the doctor said I had cancer.

At that moment, I just switched off and went blank. I didn’t know what to think and how to respond. I was just in a daze. However, I also felt fearless as well, I knew I had to get rid of it. If I was going to die, I’m going to die giving my all and on my own terms.

The first thing I thought about were my parents. I was scared to tell them because I feared how they would react to the possibility that they may outlive their daughter? I remember thinking that I had to reassure my mum that I would find a way to beat cancer. My next thought were my kids. The were both under 10-years-old at the time. I wondered how I could share my cancer diagnosis with them and make them understand the disease.

Teri, now 49, talks about life after her devastating diagnosis

Since puberty, I’ve never really had regular periods perhaps due to my active athletic lifestyle in school. So having irregular periods or none at all were the norm for me. I never knew about Pap smears until I was an adult but since marriage, I’ve made it a point to regularly go for medical checkups and do yearly Pap smears.

In October 2004, I decided to go for a check-up after experiencing a bout of rather excessive bleeding. I wanted to clear it up before I went on a scuba-diving holiday. I switched to a different gynecologist during this time and after explaining my history of irregularity, he asked to do a biopsy of my cervix. I agreed and a few days later, the BIG C bomb dropped on me – in my case it was DOUBLE C! Cervical cancer.

I sought a second and third opinion and all came back positive: I had Stage 2B cervical cancer. It was quite aggressive and had I not sought treatment earlier, it would have progressed to Stage 3. It caught my by surprise naturally because I had been going for regular Pap smears but the doctors said it may not have been detected because the cancer cells were lodged far behind the cervix in an area that could not be swabbed.

WATCH THIS VIDEO TOO:

10 Best Night Time Foods For Better Sleep


 
I did a full hysterectomy, chemotherapy and radiotherapy in a bid to get rid of my cancer. Treatment took more than six months but the recovery journey was almost a year-long. For the first three months following my prognosis, I was in the doctor’s office every single week. It was painful and tough, I even fell into depression during the recovery process, refusing visitors and not communicating with my family members.

Ultimately, I told myself that I had to snap out of this state. What gave me strength were the cancer survivors I met on my journey and those who I had encountered before when I used to volunteered for cancer support groups.

I heard their stories of battling with and surviving cancer. They were one of the key motivators for me to really walk the talk and show that no matter how difficult this journey is, there is a way to beat this disease. The desire to see my kids grow up into wonderful adults also motivated me to get well and I was given the news that I was cancer-free 12 months after my surgery and subsequent treatments.

“I think anyone who has received news that they have any kind of cancer will always get a shock to their system”

 
When I was diagnosed with cervical cancer, there was no vaccination against it. But now there is! The best advice I can pass on to other women following my battle with cancer is to go get vaccinated because the studies show that it prevents Human Papillomavirus (HPV) infection, which causes cervical cancer.

READ MORE:
What A Gynaecologist Wants You To Know About HPV And Preventing Cervical Cancer
Do Handphones And Microwaves Cause Breast Cancer? We Address 8 Common Misconceptions
Survivor Stories: “I Could Have Been Dead In One To Two Years If I Didn’t Go For The Checkup”

Want to know more about Cervical Cancer and how you can protect yourself against it? Dr Quek Swee Chong – Specialist in Obstetrics & Gynaecology at ASC Clinic for Women in Gleneagles Hospital, Singapore – answers all your burning questions:

https://www.womensweekly.com.sg/gallery/beauty-and-health/its-always-a-shock-to-hear-that-you-have-cancer-in-my-case-it-was-cervical-cancer/
"It's Always A Shock To Hear That You Have Cancer. In My Case It Was Cervical Cancer"
1. What are some of the signs and symptoms of cervical cancer? Can women be on the look-out for it without proper checks at the doctor’s?
image

Cervical cancer usually doesn’t produce symptoms until it has reached an advanced stage. It is therefore of utmost importance that regular checks be done when no signs or symptoms are apparent, so that the early changes in the cervix can be detected and treated. Most women do not realise they have cancer until it has become aggressive and spread into other parts of the body.

At this stage, some of the following may begin to appear, which should be urgently managed by a gynaecologist:
• Bleeding between or following menstrual periods
• Bleeding during or after sexual intercourse
• Bleeding after menopause
• Unusual vaginal discharge that is watery, bloody and foul-smelling
• Pain or discomfort during sexual intercourse
• Pain in the lower abdomen
• Unexplained change in menstrual cycle

Photo: Pixabay
2. How often should we be going for checks? And what kinds of tests should women opt for?
image

Cervical cancer starts off by infection from certain strains of a virus known as Human Papillomavirus (HPV). HPV is a sexually transmissible virus, and results in pre-cancer changes on the cervix that may take 3-5 years to develop. Invasive cancer may take 5-10 years or more. In terms of routine checkups, I would recommend all women who have ever had sexual intercourse start to undergo screening for cervical cancer from the age of 25 years.

Currently, there are two screening tests that women can do as part of early detection of cervical cancer – Pap smear and HPV DNA test. The Pap smear detects pre cancer cell changes on the cervix that might potentially become cervical cancer if they are not treated appropriately. The HPV DNA test detects the presence of the ‘high-risk’ (cancer-causing) strains, and helps to predict the risk of developing cervical cancer earlier.

Women above 25 years old should have regular Pap smear screening at least once every 3 years. As for the HPV DNA test, it is recommended for women above 30 to get tested once every five years.

Photo: Pixabay
3. What about prevention – what is the recommendation for women and girls? Or even partners?
image

Yes, the good news is that HPV infection can be prevented. HPV vaccination can help you prevent HPV infection and thus significantly reduce your risk of cervical cancer. HPV can be classified under low risk and high-risk strains. Low risk strains do not cause cancer, but are responsible for the majority of genital warts. High-risk strains are also known as oncogenic strains as these cause cancers. The most common cancer-causing strains are: HPV 16, 18, 31, 33, 45, 52, and 58.

In Singapore, there are three vaccines available, with the latest vaccine helping to provide protection against high-risk HPV strains responsible for about 95% of cervical cancer cases. The vaccine is recommended for women aged 9 to 26 years old in Singapore but women above this age can also be benefitted but they should speak to their doctor if they want to get protected against HPV. The newly available 9-valent HPV vaccine can protect against nine HPV types – 6, 11, 16, 18, 31, 33, 45, 52 and 58, preventing up to 95% of cervical cancer cases in Singapore. In addition it also prevents the majority of genital warts.

Apart from HPV vaccination, it is important to practice safe sex and make informed choices when engaging in sexual activity.

Photo: Pixabay
4. For women who did not receive the HPV vaccination at primary or secondary school, what would be their recommended choice to reduce the risk of cervical cancer later in their lives?
image

I would still recommend them to have HPV vaccination. Women who are sexually active can also benefit from vaccination.

Apart from that, going for the recommended cervical cancer screening tests is also necessary for women who have ever been sexually active.

Photo: Pixabay
5. Are women proactive in taking care of their cervical health?
image

Fortunately many women are starting to care of their cervical health but we still have a long way to go. It is estimated that only 2 in 3 women go for Pap smear screening in Singapore. I would certainly like to see this figure increase. I do think that women need to see their cervical health in the long run, by keeping abreast with the recommended screening procedures and latest advancements in screening.

Photo: Pixabay
6. At what stage of a women’s life should they start thinking about cervical health?
image

I believe that cervical health can be discussed at any point of a women’s life. It is best to talk about it when they are younger, so that they can protect themselves with vaccination at an earlier age. This will also make the vaccination more effective. Apart from that, when women turn 25, they should start being proactive in going for the recommended cervical cancer screenings.

Photo: Pixabay
7. Suggested checklist for women to stay aware about cervical cancer prevention:
image

• Get vaccinated
• Get screened for cervical cancer
• Maintain a healthy diet and lifestyle
• Be aware of any changes that’s happening to your cervix i.e. abnormal bleeding or abnormalities in your menstrual cycle

Photo: Pixabay
8. How can women be encouraged or empowered to take care of their cervical health?
image

I believe we can encourage more women to start talking more candidly about their cervical health, or even about their health in general.

It took many years for the conversation around breast cancer to become less taboo or embarrassing where it can be spoken about openly. Today, that has changed.

So with more women starting this conversation around cervical cancer, the influence will be greater among them and will pass on to more groups of women in Singapore.

Photo: Pixabay
Step up your knowledge on Women's Health today!
image

The Singapore Cancer Society will be having a Women’s Gynecological Cancer Awareness Event soon. It will be held on 8 June 2019 (Saturday) at Toa Payoh Hub Atrium, from 10 am to 4 pm. The activities on that day will include:

  • Women’s Gynaecological Cancer Talk by cancer survivors and specialists
  • Zumba Workouts

Apart from that, SCS will also be having a HPV Vaccination & Cervical Cancer Talk, on 13 July 2019, between 10 am to 11 am. It will be held at the SCS Rehabilitation Centre.

Photo: Pixabay
  • TAGS:
  • cancer
  • cancer survivor
  • cervical cancer
  • cervical cancer awareness month
  • Gleneagles
  • Health
  • Singapore Cancer Society
  • survivor
  • Teri Choong
  • wellbeing
SHARE THIS ON

What’s Hot

Beauty & Health

Zoe Tay, Rebecca Lim And Other Asian Cel...

Beauty & Health

8 Most Therapeutic And Fun Hobbies To Re...

Beauty & Health

Try These Tips To Sleep Better Every Night

Beauty & Health

Ginseng: The Secret Ingredient Behind Ko...

Beauty & Health

4 Simple Exercises To Improve Your Stability

Beauty & Health

This Is How Jang Na-Ra Looks 20 At 41

Beauty & Health

6 Things To Know About Chanel's Newest P...

Are Plastic Food Containers Safe For You...

Beauty & Health

If You've Had Covid-19, You Have More Ri...

Beauty & Health

Here's What Joanne Peh Uses To Look Radi...

Beauty & Health

Understated (But Stunning) New Hairstyle...

Family

9 Must-Know Ways To Protect Your Family ...

Don’t Miss These
  • Awards This Firming Facial Will Turn The Clock Back On Your Skin
  • Awards This Laser Treatment Gives You A Lit-From-Within Glow – #...
  • Awards Get The Body You Have Always Wanted With This Fat Freeze ...
  • Awards Trim And Tone Your Body In No Time With This Body Sculpto...
  • Awards The Anti-Ageing Facial That Protects Your Skin From Digit...
  • Awards This is the perfect escape from urban life to relax, rech...
Editor’s Picks
  • EVENTS/WIN Vote For Your Fave Household Brands & Win $200 Takashimaya Vouchers
  • Diet & Nutrition Savour The Deliciousness Of Chocolate While Being Kind To Your Gut
  • Beauty & Health Zoe Tay, Rebecca Lim And Other Asian Celebs On The Beauty Of Getting Older
  • Beauty & Health 8 Most Therapeutic And Fun Hobbies To Reduce Stress
  • Organising A KonMari Consultant's Hack For Saving Time & Money At Home
  • Beauty & Health Try These Tips To Sleep Better Every Night
  • Beauty & Health Ginseng: The Secret Ingredient Behind Korean Women’s Youthful Skin
  • Skincare Jamie Yeo Swears By These 7 Beauty Products To Maintain Her Youthful Appearance
Don't Miss Out Ever Again!
Tips & tricks to stay sane + win invites to our events!

By signing up, you indicate that you have read and agreed with our Privacy Statement
Footer Menu
  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Conditions of Access
  • PDPA
  • Privacy Policy
?>">
SPH Magazine

Copyright © 2022 SPH Media Limited. Co. Regn. No. 202120748H. All rights reserved.