Productive in every sense

35-year-old Edmund Choo didn’t think he would be able to have any more children after his radiation treatment. But a year later, his second child Evan came into his life. Conceived naturally, the two and a half month old baby boy is a symbol of one man’s triumph in his battle against cancer.

Now two years post treatment, Edmund is every bit the corporate executive. As a performance based planning consultant from the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF), he is in charge of approving fire safety building plans. The mechanical engineer first discovered that he had nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC) when he was sent for medical examinations during army training. ‘I had ringing in my ears”, said Edmund. The ringing was not related to his cancer but assessments revealed that he had early stage NPC.

Nasopharyngeal cancer is the sixth most common cancer in men in Singapore. It affects men more frequently than women and it occurs between the ages of 35 to 55 years. This type of cancer occurs more frequently among the Chinese (especially Cantonese). A painless lump in the neck is found in nearly 75% of newly diagnosed nasopharyngeal cancer. At the centre which treats the largest number of cancer cases, experts see patients with the following persistent symptoms: a painless lump in the neck, excessive nose discharge, blockage or bleeding, decreased hearing or ringing in the ears, unusual face pain or numbness, double vision or headache.

“For Edmund, it was most fortunate that he detected his cancer early. Early stage NPC is very treatable,” said Dr Joseph Wee, Senior Consultant, Radiation Oncology, NCCS. At the centre which houses the largest number of cutting edge radiation equipment in Singapore, Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) is the primary mode of treatment in head and neck cancer. A powerful, cancer-fighting technology, it uses computer-controlled x-ray accelerators to deliver intense radiation doses to a tumour, while minimizing radiation exposure to surround normal tissues. “Treatment is carefully planned using 3D CT images to calculate the dose intensity pattern of the patient. The end result is that the cancer cells are destroyed, while avoiding damaging healthy cells, hence minimizing the side effects so patients like Edmund would be able to have children as the treatment is confined to the head and neck, “ added Dr Joseph Wee.

Edmund is also most grateful for the support that he had received from the SCDF. Upon hearing that Edmund was diagnosed with cancer, his Director, Mr Boo Geok Kwang told him, “Don’t worry about work, just take care of your health.” Throughout his ten weeks of treatment, Edmund was assured that his job was not at stake. In addition to being granted extended leave, the SCDF still considered him as an asset after he returned from treatment. Edmund presented at overseas conferences and is now working to approve key projects including the integrated resort projects. As all employees can appreciate, supportive employers do make a difference.