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FRE
E
HealthNews
November 2011
Inspiring and informative stories for patients
MICA (P) No. 153/01/2011
Fighting leukaemia
with semangat
Despite having to go
through intensive
chemotherapy and
several setbacks,
George persisted in
his battle, with his
mother’s support
W
hen George Wiza Widyabahkti arrived
in Singapore in June 2010, he had been
given four weeks to live. But thanks to
swift aggressive treatment and a fierce will to live,
George emerged victorious.
It started with nausea and a headache that
would not go away. Eventually, George, then 18,
checked in to a hospital in Jakarta to see what
was wrong. However, the hospital there kept
giving him conflicting information and finally,
in desperation, his parents decided to send him
to Singapore.
By that time, George was so weak that he
could not walk and his mother had to push him
in a wheelchair. When Dr Freddy Teo, Senior
Consultant, Haematology, at Parkway Cancer
Stories of Centre (PCC), saw George, he
immediately ordered a test of his
bone marrow which confirmed
that he was suffering from advanced acute
lymphocytic leukaemia. According to Dr Teo,
George was between two and four weeks away
from death.
The next day, just three days after arriving
in Singapore, George began an intensive form
of chemotherapy regime which involved five
chemotherapeutic agents. The chemotherapy
drugs were administered almost continuously
over a four-week period. This is a very intensive
schedule and the treatment, according to Dr Teo,
has a mortality risk of 5 to 10 per cent.
Because of the advanced nature of the
cancer and the aggressive treatment, it was not
smooth sailing for George. After the first round
of chemotherapy, the damage to his nervous
system left him unable to walk and this affected
his treatment.
Normally, patients like George would have
chemotherapy administered into the cerebral spinal
fluid to prevent the leukaemia from spreading to
the brain. However, because George’s nervous
system was already damaged, he had to undergo
radiotherapy instead of chemotherapy.
The damage to his nervous system was a blow
HOPE
Continued next page
IN THIS ISSUE: Understanding leukaemia | Celebrating life | 了解白血病
Stories of Hope
From cover page
but George did not give up. He had a strong will
to live and went on to complete the five rounds of
chemotherapy. He attributed this to “semangat”,
the Indonesian word for spirit. “We must have
the fighting spirit to fight against cancer,” said
George.
Over time, he became stronger, and eventually,
George no longer needed his wheelchair and
was able to fly back to Indonesia in-between
treatments.
Nonetheless, he still had to spend quite a lot
of time in Singapore. As he got better, George
became restless staying in the apartment. Itching
to do something more useful than watching
Kemenang
Melawan L
Right: George
with his mother,
who supported
him throughout his
journey battling
cancer.
Far right: George
presents Dr Teo
with a remotecontrolled car that
he assembled
specially for the
doctor, who has
the same hobby.
Connect with us on
at www.facebook.com/
parkwaycancercentre
Editorial team
Fong Mue Chern, Vincent
Tan, Nuraisha Teng, Woan
Fei, Jimmy Yap
Publisher
Preston Communications
Printer
Impress Printing
No portion of this
magazine may be
reproduced in any
language, stored in or
introduced into a retrieval
system, or transmitted,
re-sold, redistributed,
in any form or by any
means without the prior
written permission of the
publisher. Information
provided in this magazine
is not intended to replace
the advice of your health
professional.
television, he decided to do something with his
hands.
George had a hobby of building scale models
of cars. As soon as he felt well enough, he decided
to continue this hobby in Singapore as well. One
such model, a remote-controlled Mini Cooper
now sits proudly in Dr Teo’s office. Apart from
buying the kit to assemble, George also printed
out the PCC logo and stuck it to the side of the
Mini Cooper to personalise the car.
George completed his last course of
chemotherapy in April this year, and things are
now looking up.
“He responded well and his leukaemia is
in complete remission,” said Dr Teo. “He is as
well as he can be. There is no evidence of any
recurrence.”
However, George is not out of the woods
yet. “He has a good chance of a cure but it is not
guaranteed,” said Dr Teo. “It will take between
two to three years of being free of the disease
before he can be pronounced cured.”
Dr Teo’s advice to others in George’s position
is to take treatment one step at a time. “It is
difficult to plan too far ahead, as complications
and side effects may upset the treatment plans.
“Last but not least, stay positive and follow
the advice of your doctors. The patient needs to
help the doctors to help him.”
As for George, he is determined to make the
most of his new lease of life. “In order to live the
life that God has given to me to the fullest, I hope
to inspire those who are on the same journey as
me,” he said.
And his advice to others is to keep fighting.
“Through our prayers and perseverance, I believe
that we will emerge as winners one day.”
Di atas: George mempersembahkan mobil remotejuga memiliki hobi yang sama.
Kiri: George dan mamanya, yang selalu mendukung
Walau diharuskan menjalani
chemotherapy yang intens
dan menghadapi tantangan,
George tetap teguh di dalam
perjuangannya
S
aat George Wiza Widyabahkti tiba di Singapura
pada bulan Juni 2010, ia telah divonis hanya
bertahan hidup selama 4 minggu. Namun,
terima kasih kepada teknologi perawatan yang
mutakhir dan semangat hidup yang mengebu-gebu,
George berhasil di dalam perjuangannya.
Diawali dari rasa mual dan pusing yang berlarutlarut. George, yang berusia 18 tahun, mengunjungi
sebuah rumah sakit di Jakarta untuk mengetahui
asal muasal penyebabnya. Namun demikian, rumah
sakit berulang kali memberikan informasi yang
membingungkan, dan pada akhirnya di tengah
kepanikan, orang tua George memutuskan membawa
George untuk diperiksa ke Singapura.
Kisah Penuh Harapan
an Atas Perjuangan
eukaemia
control yang dirakitnya khusus untuk Dr Teo, yang
dalam perjuangannya melawan kanker.
Pada waktu itu, saking tak berdayanya, George
telah tidak mampu berjalan dan harus didorong
mamanya dengan kursi roda. Ketika Dr Freddy
Teo, Senior Consultant Haematology (Konsultan
Senior, Bagian Darah) di Parkway Cancer Centre
memeriksa George, tulang sumsum belakangnya
segera didiagnosa dan terbukti bahwa ia menderita
acute lymphocytic leukaemia tingkat lanjut.
Menurut Dr Teo, harapan hidup George hanya
tersisa 2 hingga 4 minggu.
Keesokan harinya, 3 hari setelah kedatangannya
di Singapura, George langsung menjalani rutinitas
chemotherapy yang melingkupi lima proses
chemotherapy. Proses chemotherapy-nya harus
diberikan secara terus menerus dalam jangka waktu
4 minggu tersebut. Ini adalah pengobatan dengan
dosis yang sangat kuat dan intens, menurut Dr Teo,
memiliki resiko kematian 5 hingga 10 persen.
Karena kankernya telah berada dalam tingkat lanjut
dan taraf pengobatan yang sangat kuat, perjuangan
George tidak selalu mulus. Setelah chemotherapy
yang pertama, kerusakan sistem syaraf membuat
kakinya lumpuh dan hal ini berpengaruh terhadap
kelangsungan perawatannya. Biasanya, untuk pasien
seperti George, chemotherapy harus dijalani lewat
tulang belakang untuk menghindari penyebaran
leukemia ke otak. Akan tetapi, karena terganggunya
sistem syaraf George, ia harus diberikan radiotherapy
sebagai pengganti dari chemotherapy.
Kerusakan pada system syarafnya merupakan
sebuah pukulan, tapi George tetap pantang menyerah.
Ia memiliki semangat hidup yang sangat tinggi dan
berhasil menuntaskan kelima tahap chemotherapynya.
“Kita harus punya semangat tempur dalam
melawan kanker,” ucap George.
Seiring berjalannya waktu, George menjadi
lebih kuat hingga tak membutuhkan lagi kursi
rodanya dan mampu balik ke Indonesia di sela-sela
perawatannya.
Namun demikian, ia masih harus menjalani waktu
pengobatan yang panjang di Singapura. Setelah ia
menjadi lebih sehat, George tak bisa diam saja di
apartemennya.
Ia ingin melakukan sesuatu yang lebih bernilai
daripada hanya menonton televisi, ia memutuskan
untuk melakukan sesuatu. George mempunyai hobi
dalam merakit model mainan mobil. Saat ia merasa
sehat, ia memutuskan untuk tetap melanjutkan
hobinya di Singapura. Salah satu dari model
rancangannya, sebuah Mini Cooper yang dijalankan
dengan remote control, kini dipajang dengan bangga
di kantor Dr Teo.
Di samping membeli komponen mobil untuk
dirakit sendiri, George juga mencetak logo Parkway
Cancer Centre dan menempelnya di sisi Mini Coopernya untuk mempersonalisasinya.
George telah menuntaskan keseluruhan tahap
perawatan chemotherapy-nya di bulan April tahun ini,
dan hasilnya berdampak memuaskan dan cerah.
“Tubuhnya memberikan respon yang baik
terhadap perawatan dan berangsur-angsur pulih total
dari leukemia,” kata Dr Teo. “Ia benar-benar sembuh.
Tak ada indikasi akan keterjangkitan lagi.”
Nasihat Dr Teo pada pasien lain seperti George
adalah untuk menjalani pengobatan setahap demi
setahap. “Sangat sulit untuk merencanakan sesuatu
yang terlalu jauh ke depan, karena komplikasi
dan efek samping selama masa perawatan dapat
mengganggu rencana perawatan.
“Yang paling penting, tetap positif dan mengikuti
nasihat dokter anda. Pasien sangat membutuhkan
pertolongan dari dokter.”
Di pihak George, ia sangat bersemangat dalam
menjalani hidupnya yang baru.
“Dalam menjalani kehidupan yang telah Tuhan
berikan kepada saya sepenuhnya, saya berharap
untuk menginspirasi teman-teman yang mempunyai
perjalanan seperti saya,” katanya.
Dan nasihatnya kepada yang lain untuk tetap
berjuang. “Lewat doa dan kegigihan, saya percaya
kalau suatu hari kitalah yang akan menjadi
pemenangnya.”
Dalam
menjalani
kehidupan
yang telah
Tuhan
berikan
kepada saya
sepenuhnya,
saya
berharap
untuk
menginspirasi
temanteman yang
mempunyai
perjalanan
seperti
saya.”
George
Fighting Cancer
What is leukaemia?
Leukaemia is a cancer of the body’s blood-forming
tissues, which include the bone marrow and lymphatic
system. It usually causes an uncontrolled production
of abnormal white blood cells.
In healthy individuals, blood cells are released
by the bone marrow upon maturity. However,
for leukaemia patients, the body produces and
accumulates immature white blood cells, resulting
in a highly-compromised immune system.
What causes this cancer?
There is no known cause – doctors can’t explain why
one person develops it but not another.
Some known risk factors, however, include
exposure to high levels of radiation and industrial
chemicals. Patients who have been treated with anticancer drugs also tend to be at greater risk, and may
develop leukaemia years later.
Genetic factors that increase risk of leukaemia
include Down’s Syndrome or blood disorders such
as Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS). Patients with
MDS, sometimes known as pre-leukaemia, often
develop severe anaemia and require frequent blood
transfusions.
What are the symptoms?
For more information
on leukaemia or
support for patients
or caregivers, call
CanHOPE at
6738 9333 or e-mail
[email protected]
Symptoms vary but common ones include fever or
chills, persistent fatigue, loss of appetite or weight,
swollen lymph nodes, an enlarged liver or spleen, easy
bruising, nose bleeds or tiny red spots on the skin,
shortness of breath or excessive sweating especially
at night, bone pain or tenderness, as well as frequent
infections as the immune system is compromised.
How is it diagnosed?
Blood tests and a bone marrow examination can
determine if a patient has leukaemia. A blood sample
Underst
LEUKA
This blood cancer may be
cancers in children and youn
many cases, it is curable. He
is taken and the red blood cells, white blood cells and
platelet counts are examined to see if they fall within
the normal range.
In acute leukaemia, blood counts tend to show
low red blood cells, low mature white blood cells
and low platelets.
A bone marrow biopsy and aspiration is then
conducted, where marrow samples from the body,
usually the back of the hip bone, are taken for
testing.
A lumbar puncture or spinal tap, where spinal
fluid is removed from the lower back, may also be
done to determine if the leukaemia has spread to the
central nervous system.
The major types of leukaemia include:
 Acute myelogenous leukaemia (AML), which is
the most common type
了解白血病
虽然这类血
癌是新加坡
儿童和年轻
人最普遍患
上的癌症，但
很多病患其
实是可以治
愈的。以下是
一些你需要
知道的资料
什么是白血病？
白血病的病征是什么？
白血病是一种源自于如骨髓和淋巴系统等制造血液
身体组织的癌症。这类血癌通常会导致白血细胞不
受控制地大量生长。
在健康的成人体内，血细胞只有在成熟时才会由
骨髓释放出来。但白血病人的身体会累积未成熟的
白血细胞，大大影响病人的免疫系统。
每个病人的病征都不同，但一般的症状包括发烧
或发冷、持续疲劳、失去食欲或体重下降、淋巴结
肿胀、肝脏或脾脏胀大、容易瘀伤、流鼻血，又或
者皮肤也可能出现小红点、呼吸短促或多汗，尤其
是在夜里、骨头疼痛或发软，以及因为免疫系统受
损所导致的经常性感染。
白血病的导因有哪些？
白血病如何诊断？
白血病并没有明确的导因—医生没有办法解释为
什么某人会罹患白血病而另一个人却不会。但一些
已知的高风险因素包括接触大量的放射物质和工
业化学物质。那些曾经服用抗癌药物的病人也属于
高风险群，并可能在几年后患上白血病。
唐氏综合征(Down’s Syndrome)或骨髓增生异常
综合征(Myelodysplastic Syndrome)等血液失调病
症也可能成为提高患上白血病风险的基因因素。患
上被认为是白血病前症的骨髓增生异常综合征的病
人通常会出现贫血的情况，并需要经常输血。
医生可以通过为病人进行血液检验和骨髓检查来
确定病人是否患上白血病。在检验中，医护人员会
采取病人的血液样本，并对样本中的红血细胞、白
血细胞和血小板指数进行计数，确定数量是否属
于正常范围。
急性白血病人的血液样本中往往会显示低数量的
白血细胞、成熟白血细胞以及血小板。之后，医护人
员会为病人进行骨髓切片和抽取以便进行化验；这
类程序通常会通过身体的盆骨后方进行。
在某些情况下，医护人员也可能为病人进行腰椎
对抗癌症
tanding
AEMIA
among the most common
ng adults in Singapore but in
ere’s what you need to know
 Acute lymphocytic leukaemia (ALL) is the most
common leukaemia among young children,
accounting for over 40 per cent of childhood
cancers in Singapore
 Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL), a
common adult leukaemia
 Chronic myelogenous leukaemia (CML) also
mainly affects adults
In acute leukaemia, the disease progresses
rapidly affecting cells that are unformed or not fully
developed. These immature cells are thus unable to
carry out their normal functions.
In chronic leukaemia, the disease progresses
slowly allowing for the growth of greater numbers of
more developed cells, which can thus carry out some
of their normal functions.
或脊髓穿刺程序，让脊髓液体从后背下部流出，以
便确定白血病是否扩散到中枢神经系统。
白血病的主要类别包括：
急性骨髓性白血病(Acute myelogenous
leukaemia)-最常见的白血病。
急性淋巴细胞白血病(Acute lymphocytic
leukaemia)–年幼儿童最普遍患上的白血病。在
新加坡儿童癌症病患中，超过40%患上这类白血
病。
慢性淋巴细胞白血病(Chronic lymphocytic
leukaemia)-常见的成人白血病。
慢性骨髓性白血病(Chronic myelogenous
leukaemia)-多数影响成人。
急性白血病病人的病情往往快速恶化，癌细胞迅
速扩散到周边其他未成型或成熟的细胞。这导致
这些未成熟细胞无法正常运作。
慢性白血病患者的病情恶化速度较缓慢。这让更
多细胞有机会发育完成，发挥正常功能。
白血病的治疗方法有哪些？
化疗是治疗白血病的最普遍治疗，病人可能需要
一种或多种药物治疗，视所患白血病类别而定。
化疗药物可能是口服或通过安装在大静脉上的
导管（避免需要多次注射）注射入静脉，又或者
直接注射进脑脊髓液，逐渐杀死或放慢癌细胞
What are the treatment options?
 Chemotherapy is the most common treatment for
leukaemia and the patient may receive a single
drug or combination of drugs depending on the
type of leukaemia the patient suffers from.
These drugs are given orally, intravenously
(injection directly into a vein), through a catheter
placed in a large vein (to minimise the need for
multiple injections) or by injection directly into
the cerebrospinal fluid and work to kill or slow
the growth of cancer cells.
Side effects include hair loss, mouth ulcers and
nausea, and a patient may be at increased risk of
infection, heavy bleeding and fatigue.
 Biological therapy may be administered to
improve a patient’s natural defences against
cancer. Through injections via a vein, antibodies
may be given to kill leukaemia cells in the blood
and marrow or to slow their growth.
Some side effects include fatigue, or flu-like
symptoms like fever, chills and appetite loss.
 Radiotherapy or radiation therapy uses highenergy rays to kill leukaemia cells. For most
patients, a machine directs radiation at a specific
part of the body where leukaemia cells may have
collected but total-body irradiation may be given
if a patient is about to undergo a bone marrow
transplant. Side effects include tiredness, itchy
or dry skin, and some hair loss. These are mostly
temporary.
 Stem cell transplantation allows a patient to
be treated with high doses of drugs, radiation
or both, destroying both leukaemia cells and
normal blood cells in the bone marrow. Later,
the patient receives healthy stem cells through a
flexible tube placed in the neck or chest area.
The patient then needs to remain in hospital
for several weeks to protect from infection until
transplanted cells begin to produce enough white
blood cells.
Blood
works
的生长。
副作用包括脱发、长口疮和恶心；病人也受感
染、大量出血和疲劳的可能性也可能提高。
生化治疗可以用来改善病人本身对抗癌症的能
力。医生可能把抗生素注射到病人的静脉，帮助
杀死血液和骨髓内的白血细胞，或放缓它们的
生长。
副作用包括疲劳或发烧、发冷和丧失胃口等感
冒症状。
化疗或放射性治疗利用高能量光线杀死白血细
胞。多数病人只需要在白血细胞聚集的身体部位
接受放射治疗，但如果病人需要接受骨髓移植手
术，他就需要接受全身放射治疗。
副作用包括疲劳、皮肤发痒或干燥，脱发。但
这些通常都是暂时的。
肝细胞移植病人同时接受大量的药物、放射治疗
或双管齐下，破坏骨髓内的白血细胞和正常血细
胞。之后，病人通过安装在颈部或胸腔的软管输
入健康的肝细胞。病人之后需要住院观察数周，
避免出现感染，直到新移植的细胞生产足够的白
血细胞为止。
血液的运作机制
Blood is produced in
the bone marrow and
consists of blood cells
and plasma.
The latter is the fluid
which transports blood
cells, which are made
up of red blood cells,
white blood cells and
platelets. The purpose
of each are:
 Red blood cells
transport oxygen
from the lungs to
the rest of the body
and a shortage of
these cells leads to
anaemia.
 White blood cells help
fight off infections and
a shortage results in
a weakened immune
system.
 Platelets are
essential for
blood clotting or
coagulation, which
stops excessive
blood from leaving
the body when there
is a cut or wound,
as well as prevents
bacteria from entering
the body. Insufficient
platelets result in
prolonged bleeding
and blood loss.
包含血细胞和血浆的血
液由骨髓制造。血浆是
一种含有红血细胞、白
血细胞和血小板的液
体，负责运输血细胞到
身体其他部位。以下是
各种细胞的作用：
红血细胞负责从肺部
运输氧气到身体其他
部位，缺乏这类细胞
可导致贫血。
白血细胞可帮助人体
抑制感染，缺乏这类
细胞可导致免疫系统
变差。
血小板对凝血起关键
作用，避免身体遭割
伤或切伤时，流失过
量的血，也避免细菌
侵入身体。血小板不
足可导致长时间流血
及血液流失。
欲知更多有关白血病或病患及家属扶持计划，可拨
电6738 9333 或电邮至[email protected]
Picture ©iStockphoto.com/Health_News
Community Outreach
A celebration of
Ms Yeo Yi Lin (extreme right)
Cancer Warrior since August 2004, bone cancer
life
Parkway Cancer Centre (PCC) launched the “I am Cancer Warrior”
campaign this year as part of its efforts to educate and create
public awareness on cancer. On its 5th anniversary, PCC held
a photo exhibition featuring portraits of 13 such warriors who
were celebrating their remission and recovery. They had battled
with cancer bravely, and won, with the help of their families,
caregivers, doctors and healthcare workers – all warriors too.
Their achievement brings hope and encouragement to other cancer
patients in their battle with the disease.
Mr Phillip Ling
Cancer Warrior since April 2007, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
Mr Lim Chee Kien (centre)
Cancer Warrior since June 1998,
stomach cancer
Mr Ting Beng Chin (left)
Cancer Warrior since July 2002, colon cancer
Madam Tan Siew Eng (2nd from right)
Cancer Warrior since January 2005, throat cancer
Mr Omar Bin Mahmood
(centre, in black)
Cancer Warrior since July 2002,
nasopharyngeal cancer
Community Outreach
Mr Cheow Heng Yin (centre)
Cancer Warrior since May 2006, stomach cancer
Madam Low Kah Wei
Cancer Warrior since June 2006,
breast cancer
Madam Lim Mei Leng
Cancer Warrior since June 2000, lymphoma
“We wanted to capture
these moments to show
other cancer patients
that cancer is not a death
sentence.”
Dr Ang Peng Tiam, PCC Medical Director
Warrior: someone who displays courage, strength,
unconditional love and a fighting spirit
Mr Gan Cheng Hor (right)
Cancer Warrior since June 2005,
colon cancer
Madam Nellie Tan
Cancer Warrior since January 2006,
ovarian cancer
Madam Ooi Soo Nee
(3rd from left)
Cancer Warrior since March 2005,
womb cancer
Ms Yunny Christine
Cancer Warrior since May 2006,
colon cancer with liver metastases
Community Outreach
Victorious Cancer Warriors get a warm welcome and hearty applause (left). They were later also presented with speciallycommissioned portraits (above right) from doctors like Dr Ang, and serenaded by guitarist Mr Peter Lim (bottom right).
Warriors mark
PCC’s 5th year
C
ancer survivors or warriors who passed the fiveyear mark after a brush with cancer celebrated
life in style at Singapore’s Old Parliament
House. Held in conjunction with Parkway Cancer
Centre’s fifth anniversary, the event was organised
to recognise patients who have accomplished the
milestone of remission and recovery.
As Dr Ang Peng Tiam, Medical Director of PCC,
told a crowd of doctors, family members and friends
in his opening speech: “There is a good chance that
For Mr Omar
Bin Mahmood,
who beat
cancer nearly
10 years ago,
there’s always
something to
celebrate.
you are cured of cancer; you have probably beaten
the disease.”
The event, held on 8 October, started with 13
cancer warriors striding confidently into the hall, to
cheers and applause from the lively crowd.
The spotlight was also on the dedicated caregivers
who were the pillar of strength for patients. The joyous
atmosphere carried on well into the afternoon, with a
string quartet, Fritz Quartet, performing six soothing
melodies including Josh Groban’s inspirational “You
raise me up”.
The highlight of the day came when the cancer
warrior photo exhibition was officially opened,
showing portraits of the 13 cancer warriors with their
loved ones. Said Dr Ang: “We wanted to capture these
moments to show other cancer patients that cancer is
not a death sentence; it can be beaten and these are
the living examples of those who have fought against
the disease.”
The day ended on a high note as cancer warriors,
along with their families and friends, joined guitarist
Mr Peter Lim in his serenade of “You’ve got a friend
in me”. Dr Khoo Kei Siong, PCC’s Deputy Medical
Director, said he was confident that the cancer
warriors would continue to inspire others.
“To cancer warriors, a happy fifth anniversary,”
he told them. “I look forward to seeing you on our
tenth anniversary.”