How one man’s decision to take part in a clinical trial helps others

The first thing that struck anyone who met the late Mr Lim Chuan Seng was his friendliness. Even when he had to spend an entire day at the National Cancer Centre Singapore (NCCS) for treatment, he was ready with a quick smile and kind word for fellow patients and staff alike. That's the kind of person that Mr Lim was, able to see the best in every situation. That might explain why, when faced with limited treatment options for his advanced lung cancer, Mr Lim decided to join a clinical trial – and strongly encouraged others eligible for clinical trial to do so too. 

 

  

In 2018, during a series of tests at the National Heart Centre Singapore, an X-Ray of Mr Lim's lungs showed a suspicious shadow.  His doctor at the Heart Centre referred him to NCCS for further tests, which confirmed that Mr Lim had Stage 4 non-small cell lung cancer.

As a non-smoker and non-drinker who had not experienced symptoms, Mr Lim and his family were shocked at the diagnosis. 

"I was working and full of energy, my whole family was so disturbed by the news. We simply couldn’t understand how it happened.”

Despite the shock, Mr Lim’s family quickly rallied around to support him as he started treatment. His oncologist, Associate Professor Darren Lim, Senior Consultant in the Department of Lung, Head & Neck in Genitourinary, Division of Medical Oncology, NCCS, started him on a course of chemotherapy and immunotherapy to treat the cancer.

While undergoing treatment, Mr Lim continued working as a branch manager of a real estate company. Having spent most of his career in the building industry, Mr Lim used his experience to guide younger real estate agents to navigate the property market. Keeping busy with work helped him cope with his cancer journey.

“The key to feeling good is doing what you love! And communicating with your family and friends, so that you have the support you need."

Mr Lim, his wife, children and grandson lived together in a multigenerational household and would spend weekends together going on outings to the Singapore Zoo and other local attractions. He cherished the time spent with his family and especially looked forward to spending time with his grandson.

 

After two years of chemotherapy and immunotherapy, scans showed that his cancer had stopped responding to treatment. Assoc Prof Darren Lim then asked Mr Lim if he would consider participating in a clinical trial to see if a new course of treatment would work.

“I needed time to think about it because I didn’t want to be a guinea pig and wasn’t sure if it was the right decision for me.”

Mr Lim talked about the clinical trial with his family who encouraged him to move forward as it was worth trying. After confirming his eligibility, Mr Lim was enrolled in a clinical trial for a novel antibody and immunotherapy combination treatment for advanced non-small cell lung cancer in September 2020. 

As part of the trial, Mr Lim took a twice-a-day oral drug and underwent a bi-monthly infusion at the SingHealth Investigational Medicine Unit. Before each infusion, a blood test was done and Mr Lim was evaluated by his oncologist to ensure he was fit for treatment. In addition, Mr Lim also did a CT scan on a separate day after the infusion. Mr Lim completed 29 cycles of the infusion on the clinical trial.

After almost three years on the clinical trial, Mr Lim became an advocate for clinical trials and encouraged those eligible to participate, if their cancer stopped responding to systemic therapy. He also shared that participating in a clinical trial helped financially as the costs of the treatment, related tests and transport were covered. The biggest motivator for Mr Lim was knowing that by participating in the clinical trial, he could help other patients as the knowledge gained during the trial could improve treatment for the disease in the future. 

“Many people understandably have negative feelings about clinical trials but it’s important to carefully evaluate the benefits if you are invited to participate in a trial and have trust and faith in your doctors.” 

As a patient on the trial, Mr Lim's health was closely monitored to ensure that he did not experience any adverse reactions to the treatment. Fortunately, he did not experience any significant adverse effects and even felt that the close monitoring from the clinical trial team was an added bonus.

“After spending so much time with them, the team of doctors, clinical trial coordinators and nurses really showed care and became my friends!”

Mr Lim continued to stay busy during his treatment with work, catching up with friends and attending church activities. He shared that his religious faith and having the support of friends and family gave him immense strength. 

Mr Lim was on the clinical trial for three years before he sadly passed away earlier this year, but his warmth, energy and inspiring advice to fellow patients live on.