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As we mark Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month in March, I would like to take this opportunity to share some insights on my personal journey.
From a young age, surgery has always been a passion of mine with Dad being a general surgeon and my greatest inspiration. Seeing my relative afflicted with late stage Colorectal Cancer strengthened my resolve to treat and heal others with this disease. I thus set out to acquire the knowledge and surgical skills required to specialise in the field of colorectal surgery. I surrounded myself with excellent mentors both locally and overseas and honed my skills in this exciting field of surgery.
My specialisation in minimally-invasive and keyhole (laparoscopic and robotic) surgery has allowed me to harness technological advances to deliver better patient care, while at the same time allowing for patients to have a quicker recovery with smaller wounds and less pain.
Colorectal Cancer is the most common cancer in Singapore and its incidence is on the rise. Unfortunately, despite advances in modern medicine, the majority of such cancers are still diagnosed in their advanced stages, as many are not coming early enough for screening or are simply unaware of its symptoms.
This underscores the importance of the annual Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month in March to raise public awareness of this potentially curable disease. Furthermore, it is an opportune time to reaffirm the importance of screening through Colonoscopy.
I hope that in the coming years, with greater awareness, more people will come forward to be screened for Colorectal Cancer so that they can either prevent or detect it early enough to have good treatment outcomes and quality of life.