SINGAPORE - Even though she has a family history of cancer, Madam Lim Sok Choo had not been screened for breast cancer for several years.
Last August, she saw a flier at the lift lobby of her flat in Anchorvale advertising a free mammogram, and decided to sign up.
A few days after her mammogram at Sengkang Polyclinic in September, she received a call to do a retest in October. A biopsy later found she had Stage 0 breast cancer, which is localised within the breast ducts.
“I had no lump, no pain, nothing at all,” said the 67-year-old, who worked part-time in sales before her diagnosis.
But after surgery to remove the tumour inside her breast ducts, a further test found the cancer to be Stage 1, as it affected lymph nodes close to her left breast.
She went for a second operation, and is due to begin radiation therapy once her wound from surgery heals, in order to destroy any remaining cancer cells.
Madam Lim is one of two cases of breast cancer picked up by a new breast cancer screening programme by the North East Community Development Council (CDC).
Get a round-up of the top stories to start your day
Thank you!
Sign up
By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy and T&Cs.
Started in May 2023, the one-year programme aims to help lower-income women in the district with early detection of breast cancer, and to support those diagnosed. It is the only such programme among the five CDCs.
About 600 residents have gone for the free screening, with 2 per cent – or about 12 cases – flagged for follow-up tests.
Under the programme, those diagnosed with breast cancer are entitled to a total of $10,000 in financial aid, including $5,000 in cost-of-living assistance and up to $5,000 in out-of-pocket assistance.
Madam Lim will get $5,000 in cost-of-living assistance by March and has received $469 of the out-of-pocket assistance so far, to help reimburse her medical expenses.
“It’s definitely helped me be less worried, that we will get help and won’t incur humongous charges.”
North East CDC collaborated with SingHealth on the North East Cancer Warrior Support Scheme.
North East District Mayor Desmond Choo said the initiative came about as breast cancer is the most prevalent cancer among Singaporean women, forming almost a third of new cancer cases diagnosed between 2016 and 2020.
“We wanted a fresh look at potential solutions to improving screening rates,” he said, adding that the council wanted to develop an initiative complementary to breast cancer awareness programmes by the National Cancer Centre Singapore and the Health Promotion Board (HPB).
“(The programme) focuses on encouraging women to take charge of their health… It also aims to alleviate fears and misconceptions surrounding the screening process,” he added.
He cited challenges to getting some women to get mammograms, such as religious beliefs and modesty concerns among Muslim women, and older women associating radiation from X-rays with cancer, or believing that mammograms are unnecessary in the absence of a family history of breast cancer.
“We’re targeting groups of residents where mammogram screening rates are historically low. And now that we’ve encouraged them to come on board, even if the test is negative, now they know there’s a process of helping them, and I hope they can make it a way of life.”
Study links gut bacteria to pre-cancerous growths, paves way for microbial testing for colorectal cancer risk
Going back to work after breast cancer can be an emotional journey
North East CDC worked with community partners such as Masjid Darul Ghufran to bring a mobile screening bus to the mosque to make it easier for Muslim women to do their mammogram screening after their prayers.
Arrangements were made for those with caregiving duties or shift work to get screened on weekends.
The programme aims to have another 400 residents get mammograms in the next six months.
“We’ve gained good insights from the programme that we’ll share with HPB. We’re building up knowledge that will allow us to extend the programme and scale up,” Mr Choo said.
Madam Lim’s doctor Benita Tan, who is a senior consultant with Sengkang General Hospital’s breast service, said that among women who do not go for screenings, breast cancer cases are usually detected at Stage 2 or beyond, when lumps can be easily felt.
While more than 95 per cent of women with Stage 1 breast cancer are likely to be alive five years after diagnosis, this falls to 89.5 per cent for Stage 2, 73.3 per cent for Stage 3, and 27 per cent for Stage 4, she said.
“Patients with Stage 0 breast cancer have a mortality rate of less than 1 per cent to 2 per cent, meaning the chance of cure is excellent,” added Associate Professor Tan, who is also the chairman of the hospital’s surgery division.
Prof Tan said recurrence rates for treated Stage 0 breast cancer stand at about 5 per cent to 30 per cent.
She recommends monthly breast self-examination for women from the age of 20, and mammograms for women without known or increased risk every two years from the age of 50.
Madam Lim is now focusing on recovering from surgery, and dreading the next step: radiation therapy. Her husband had prostate cancer in 2022 and went through this treatment.
Madam Lim is optimistic about the odds of recovering. ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM
Get screened early for breast cancer: It saved my life
Should older women go for breast cancer screening? Experts divided
“I thought it was quite traumatising going for radiation because I saw him, a big-sized man, going through it – he lost weight and he was half-dead.”
She had not wanted to tell her son – who is 36 and working as a physiotherapist in Brisbane – for fear of worrying him. But having accidentally found out, he and his wife are coming back to Singapore to give her moral support.
Madam Lim is optimistic about the odds of recovering. “My friend comforted me because she has been through breast cancer – she said ‘Don’t worry. Just chiong ah (Hokkien for ‘go all out’). Be a warrior.’”
Unlock unlimited access to ST exclusive content, insights and analyses
ST One Digital - Annual
$9.90 $4.95 /month
Get offer
$59.40 for the first year and $118.80 per year thereafter.
ST One Digital - Monthly
29.90 $9.90 /month
Subscribe today
No lock-in contract
Unlock more knowledge, unlock more benefits
New feature: Stay up to date on important topics and follow your favourite writers with myST All subscriber-only content on ST app and straitstimes.com Easy access any time via ST app on one mobile device
Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
Cancer Community Development Councils Desmond Choo Doctors/Surgeons
Facebook Telegram More Whatsapp Linkedin Twitter FB Messenger Email Print Purchase Article Copy permalink https://str.sg/Eiy6
Read this subscriber-only article for free!
Just sign up for a free account and log in to continue reading.
‘I had no lump or pain’: Free breast cancer screenings in north-east draw 600 women, 12 had abnormal results
Sign up
Already have an account? Log in.
All done! This article is now fully available for you
‘I had no lump or pain’: Free breast cancer screenings in north-east draw 600 women, 12 had abnormal results
Read now
Please verify your e-mail to read this subscriber-only article in full
‘I had no lump or pain’: Free breast cancer screenings in north-east draw 600 women, 12 had abnormal results
Resend verification e-mail
The gift link for this subscriber-only article has expired.
Get unlimited access to all stories at $0.99/month for the first 3 months.
Subscribe now
You have reached your limit of subscriber-only articles this month.
Get unlimited access to all stories at $0.99/month for the first 3 months.
Subscribe now
Read and win!
Read 3 articles and stand to win rewards
Let's go! Terms & conditions apply
Frequently asked questions
Good job, you've read 3 articles today!
Spin the wheel now
Let's go! Terms & conditions apply
Frequently asked questions