- Central Nervous System
- Breast & Endocrine
- Colorectal
- Gynecology
- Prostate
- Lung
- Head & Neck
- Hepatobiliary
- Upper Gastrointestinal
- Skin
- Intensity Modulated Radiotherapy
- Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy
- Stereotactic Radiosurgery and Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy
- Image Guided Brachytherapy for Gynecological Malignancy
- Systemic Cancer Treatment
- Hormonal therapy
- Chemotherapy, Targeted Therapy, Immunotherapy
- Palliative Care
- Medical Degree, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
- Master of Clinical Oncology, University of Malaya
Pain in the breast does not necessarily means the is still cancer. Does the pain occur after the breast surgery? Consultation and examination with the breast surgeon is important to know the source of pain. Either it is related to the nerve, muscle, bone or from the breast itself. There is a specific medication to treat the pain depending on the source of the pain. The doctor also may do further imaging for example a ct scan to investigate further.
Yes. In stage 3 breast cancer, there is a risk for cancer to recur and spread to the lung. Irrespective of history of TB. What is important is a close follow up with the oncologist and regular radiological imaging to monitor the progress and detect any early recurrences.
There are 2 main types of lung cancer
A) small cell lung cancer
B) non small cell lung cancer
They are differentiated based on the biopsy report. They are treated in different ways.
For small cell lung cancer, they can be divided into 2 stage. Small cell lung cancers are staged as limited stage and extensive stage.
Limited stage means that the cancer is only in one lung and maybe in lymph nodes on the same side of the chest.
It is called extensive stage if the cancer has spread to the other lung, to lymph nodes on the other side of the chest, or to distant organs.
The main types of treatment are radiation and chemotherapy.
Chemotherapy is most often the main treatment for small cell lung cancer. It is given in cycles with rest period in between to gives body time to recover
No. Abdominal distension is not common after chemotherapy. Please have a check up with the oncologist to make sure everything is ok. Is her bowel habit normal or she is having problem to pass motion? A physical examination by the doctor and an imaging for example a CT scan is advisable.
Thank you
The decision for chemotherapy depends on the stage of breast cancer, subtype of breast cancer (hormone positive/ Her 2 positive) and patient's clinical condition. For example stage 3 breast cancer has a higher risk of recurrence compared to stage 1 breast cancer. Hence, chemotherapy is the best option after surgery to reduce the risk of cancer coming back again. When the benefit is significant ( after looking at the 3 factors above) yes chemotherapy will be recommended.
After completed chemotherapy, follow up surveillance is mandatory for all cancer patients. Apart from physical examination, cancer marker Ca 15-3, a CT scan imaging (CT Thorax, Abdomen and Pelvis) is also done periodically to rule out any cancer recurrence.
For ovarian cancer, apart from physical examination and ultrasound abdomen, surveillance CT scan (CT thorax, abdomen and pelvis) can also be done together with cancer marker Ca 125.
Yes. There is a risk to develop cancer if one of our close relative has it. Recommended screening guidelines for strong family history of breast cancer:
1 Monthly breast examination
2-A yearly breast examination by your doctor or nurse practitioner
3-A mammogram every year starting at age 40
The answer is yes. It is possible. Survival depends on many different factors. It depends on your:
1) Type, stage and subtype of cancer
2) Age and overall health condition
3) Treatment done, and how well the cancer responds to the treatment
For a stage 3 colon cancer, about 65% will survive for 5 years or more after they are diagnosed and received treatment.
For a stage 3 breast cancer about 72% will survive for 5 years with treatment. However a triple negative breast cancer is more aggressive and is more likely to spread and recur than other subtypes of breast cancer.
To get better information, please speak with your treating oncologist.
A detailed check up with a breast surgeon is needed. Mammogram may be a better option to evaluate the breast. If there is a suspicious breast lesion, the breast surgeon will recommend a biopsy for further evaluation