Nurse with breast cancer lives her best life

At 50, Ong Teng Teng has lived many lives: cabin crew, student, nurse, wife and mother. Today, she also lives with advanced breast cancer. 

First diagnosed in 2019, Teng Teng experienced a relapse in 2022 when the cancer spread to other parts of her body. Yet despite years of intensive treatment, she continues to work, travel, and celebrate milestones with her family. 

Ong Teng Teng, 50, has advanced breast cancer but continues to work, travel, and celebrate milestones with her family. 

A heart for caring 

Teng Teng grew up wanting to be a nurse, but her journey took an unexpected detour when she got the opportunity to join an airline as cabin crew at the age of 19. Growing up in Penang, the offer opened the world to her. Her first destination was San Francisco, USA, and over the next decade she travelled all over the world. 

After giving birth to her son in 2006 at the age of 30, Teng Teng left the airline industry behind. But soon after a medical emergency reminded her of her childhood aspirations. When her infant son developed a painful abscess and required hospital care, Teng Teng was deeply moved by the compassion shown by the nurses caring for him. 

“That experience reminded me what I really wanted to do,” she said. 

Teng Teng (second from left) enjoying a light-hearted moment while studying for her nursing diploma at polytechnic. 

In 2008, Teng Teng enrolled in a nursing course at the Institute of Technical Education (ITE). After completing the programme, she was attached to Ang Mo Kio Thye Hua Kwan Hospital, which later sponsored her diploma studies at Nanyang Polytechnic in 2010. She graduated in 2013 and went on to work in a rehabilitation setting. 

Never one to stop learning, Teng Teng returned to school again at 40 to pursue a nursing degree at the National University of Singapore so she could work in an acute care setting. 

“I was the oldest in the cohort! The rest of my classmates only had to worry about school while I had to still take care of my husband and kids,” she laughed. 

Teng Teng (far right) celebrates graduating from Nanyang Polytechnic with her classmates. 

It was during this busy period in 2019 that Teng Teng missed her routine mammogram appointments. However, she continued performing regular breast self-examinations. When she felt a lump in her right breast, she immediately knew something was wrong. 

When the nurse becomes a patient 

Teng Teng immediately visited a polyclinic and was referred for further investigations, including scans and a biopsy. She was diagnosed with Stage I triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), an aggressive subtype of breast cancer. 

“Working in healthcare, the diagnosis itself did not completely shock me as I know that anyone can become ill. But I did hope that after treatment, it would all be behind me.” 

Before beginning treatment, Teng Teng travelled to Bhutan with a friend to create happy memories. This decision reflected the way she would continue approaching life in the years ahead. 

After returning to Singapore, she underwent chemotherapy and a mastectomy of the right breast. For a year, she remained cancer-free. 

A devastating relapse 

In 2022, during a routine follow-up, blood tests showed elevated tumour markers. A full-body PET scan later confirmed that the cancer had spread to Teng Teng’s lungs, liver and lymph nodes. 

For the first time since her diagnosis, Teng Teng broke down. 

“I remember crying in a café after hearing the news. I truly thought I had beaten it, and was left asking, ‘Why me?’” 

Even as she grappled with her grief, Teng Teng focused on what mattered most to her, spending precious time with her family. 

Before starting treatment, she once decided to travel. She and her son and daughter, then 16 and 12 years old, journeyed across Europe, backpacking for six weeks through 10 countries, including the United Kingdom, Belgium, Austria and Italy. Along the way, they visited as many Christmas markets as they could. 

“For me, travelling is about discovering new things and sharing those experiences with the people you love. I knew it was important to do that with my family while I could.” 

Teng Teng with her two children enjoying the frosty winter weather in Austria. 

Living fully while undergoing treatment

Following her relapse, Teng Teng transferred her care to the National Cancer Centre Singapore (NCCS), where she underwent multiple lines of chemotherapy and targeted therapy. Her medication regimen required frequent adjustments as the cancer developed resistance. 

“I try not to read too much about my disease. If my doctor’s feel a treatment is the best option for me, I follow their advice. This gives me peace of mind.” 

In 2025, scans showed that the cancer had spread to her brain. Teng Teng subsequently underwent radiation therapy, completing three cycles of five rounds of treatment, with the final cycle ending in April 2026. While the first cycle left her extremely weak subsequent cycles became more manageable. 

Despite the intensity of treatment, Teng Teng often attends her appointments at NCCS alone. She cherishes the quiet moments, observing healthcare workers going about their day and enjoying a coffee after treatment. 

“It’s my me time! At work I have my work duties and at home I have my mummy duties. This is the only time I have for myself.” 

Life continues 

Even while living with advanced cancer, Teng Teng continues working as a nurse in an eye clinic, taking leave only when she is unwell or receiving radiotherapy. 

“Work helps me focus on something other than treatment and thankfully in the eye clinic, the pace is manageable for me.” At home, life continues much as it always has. 

“I’m just mum at home! My kids tell me about their day and then we eat dinner and then it’s the next day!” 

Instead of letting illness define her life Teng Teng focuses on the people and experiences that matter most to her. Earlier this year, she celebrated her daughter’s 16th birthday a precious milestone shared with her family. 

“I know the cancer has spread, but I’ve never thought about my illness as terminal,” she said. “With new treatments and clinical trials, there is always hope.”