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FEBRUARY 23, 2022
Recent Post
Prostate Matters
Prostate Exams
Apart from skin cancers, prostate cancer is the most common cancer among males. In fact, according to the American Cancer Society, about one in seven men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during his lifetime; the older a man is, the higher his risk, as prostate cancer is much more common after the age of 50, and is found in about six out of 10 men aged 65 or older. Luckily, this type of cancer can grow slowly, and most men diagnosed with prostate cancer do not die from it.
When it comes to screening for prostate cancer, DR COLIN KOH of Complete Healthcare International (CHI) says it’s a very personal choice based on individual risks and concerns, especially for those who know a cancer sufferer or have a family history of the disease.
“There is much controversy regarding prostate cancer screening. The main issue is that prostate cancer is generally slow-growing and is often without symptoms. Hence it’s possible for a man to die from other illnesses like a heart attack, a stroke or another cancer before he even develops symptoms of prostate cancer,” says Dr Koh.
Prostate Exams
Apart from skin cancers, prostate cancer is the most common cancer among males. In fact, according to the American Cancer Society, about one in seven men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during his lifetime; the older a man is, the higher his risk, as prostate cancer is much more common after the age of 50, and is found in about six out of 10 men aged 65 or older. Luckily, this type of cancer can grow slowly, and most men diagnosed with prostate cancer do not die from it.
When it comes to screening for prostate cancer, DR COLIN KOH of Complete Healthcare International (CHI) says it’s a very personal choice based on individual risks and concerns, especially for those who know a cancer sufferer or have a family history of the disease.
“There is much controversy regarding prostate cancer screening. The main issue is that prostate cancer is generally slow-growing and is often without symptoms. Hence it’s possible for a man to die from other illnesses like a heart attack, a stroke or another cancer before he even develops symptoms of prostate cancer,” says Dr Koh.
“There is much controversy regarding prostate cancer screening. The main issue is that prostate cancer is generally slow-growing and is often without symptoms. Hence it’s possible for a man to die from other illnesses like a heart attack, a stroke or another cancer before he even develops symptoms of prostate cancer,” says Dr Koh.
Many feel that screening for signs of cancer at an early stage, before any symptoms appear, prevents any possible risks or The prostate, a walnut-sized gland located directly below the bladder and in front of the rectum, is part of the male reproductive system that produces secretions to protect sperm. WHAT EXACTLY IS A PROSTATE? discomfort – the “better safe than sorry” attitude. “Advocates of screening for prostate cancer would do a digital rectal examination (DRE) and a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test. They believe that early detection is crucial to finding cancer confined within the gland, and reducing complications and mortality. When symptoms develop, or when DRE results become positive, such cases might have already advanced beyond the prostate,” says Dr Koh.
Others, however, feel that screening for prostate cancer does more harm than good, since this type of cancer is usually not life-threatening. For example, men may go through unnecessary follow-up tests, biopsies and other treatments, and experience anxiety over a false-positive PSA test.
After all, raised PSA levels do not confirm prostate cancer. A prostate infection can raise PSA, for instance, and, in that case, your doctor would prescribe a course of antibiotics before rechecking the prostate. Dr Koh notes that further testing may include a prostate ultrasound to detect any prostate enlargement or suspicious growths within the gland. He says specialised blood tests like the Prostate Health Index (PHI) may also be ordered to determine the likelihood of cancer before doing a biopsy, which can confirm whether or not cancer exists.
According to Dr Koh, if cancer is confirmed, treatment options are divided into early stage and advanced stage. If the cancer is small and contained within the prostate gland, it’s usually managed either by “watchful waiting” (regular monitoring of PSA blood levels), radiation therapy (implanting radioactive seeds into the prostate, or radiotherapy involving radiation beams aimed close to the cancer) or surgery in which the prostate is removed. If the cancer is more aggressive or advanced, Dr Koh says the patient may require a combination of radiotherapy and hormone therapy.
Every case is unique and needs to be discussed with a doctor, notes Dr Koh. “All these treatment options have their advantages and disadvantages, and must be customised.”
“There is much controversy regarding prostate cancer screening. The main issue is that prostate cancer is generally slow-growing and is often without symptoms. Hence it’s possible for a man to die from other illnesses like a heart attack, a stroke or another cancer before he even develops symptoms of prostate cancer,” says Dr Koh.
Many feel that screening for signs of cancer at an early stage, before any symptoms appear, prevents any possible risks or The prostate, a walnut-sized gland located directly below the bladder and in front of the rectum, is part of the male reproductive system that produces secretions to protect sperm. WHAT EXACTLY IS A PROSTATE? discomfort – the “better safe than sorry” attitude. “Advocates of screening for prostate cancer would do a digital rectal examination (DRE) and a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test. They believe that early detection is crucial to finding cancer confined within the gland, and reducing complications and mortality. When symptoms develop, or when DRE results become positive, such cases might have already advanced beyond the prostate,” says Dr Koh.
Others, however, feel that screening for prostate cancer does more harm than good, since this type of cancer is usually not life-threatening. For example, men may go through unnecessary follow-up tests, biopsies and other treatments, and experience anxiety over a false-positive PSA test.
After all, raised PSA levels do not confirm prostate cancer. A prostate infection can raise PSA, for instance, and, in that case, your doctor would prescribe a course of antibiotics before rechecking the prostate. Dr Koh notes that further testing may include a prostate ultrasound to detect any prostate enlargement or suspicious growths within the gland. He says specialised blood tests like the Prostate Health Index (PHI) may also be ordered to determine the likelihood of cancer before doing a biopsy, which can confirm whether or not cancer exists.
According to Dr Koh, if cancer is confirmed, treatment options are divided into early stage and advanced stage. If the cancer is small and contained within the prostate gland, it’s usually managed either by “watchful waiting” (regular monitoring of PSA blood levels), radiation therapy (implanting radioactive seeds into the prostate, or radiotherapy involving radiation beams aimed close to the cancer) or surgery in which the prostate is removed. If the cancer is more aggressive or advanced, Dr Koh says the patient may require a combination of radiotherapy and hormone therapy.
Every case is unique and needs to be discussed with a doctor, notes Dr Koh. “All these treatment options have their advantages and disadvantages, and must be customised.”
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Introduction
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Introduction
Consultant Radiologist Dr Raymond Quah graduated from the National University of Singapore in 2002. From 2004 to 2006, he served as a medical officer in the Republic of Singapore Navy. He obtained the Fellowship of the Royal College of Radiologists (UK) and Master of Medicine in Radiology (Singapore) in 2009. Subsequently, he received specialist accreditation in Radiology in 2011, and was also admitted as Fellow of the Academy of Medicine Singapore. In 2012, he was awarded the HMDP award by MOH, and was a visiting fellow at the Maastricht University Medical Centre, where he studied and performed research on body MRI under Prof. dr. Regina Beets-Tan, who is world-renowned for her work on imaging of rectal cancer. As part of the pioneering team at Ng Teng Fong Hospital in 2015, he contributed to organising and troubleshooting radiology operations. From 2013 to 2020, he has served on the executive council of the College of Radiologists. From 2017 to 2024, he worked as a radiologist in Farrer Park Hospital. Dr Quah is experienced in reading computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies, and has a subspecialty interest in body imaging and oncological imaging. |
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Aesthetic Physician Dr. Elendrus Teo graduated with a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) at the National University of Singapore (NUS) and also holds a NUS Graduate Diploma in Family Medicine. Dr. Teo firmly believes that looking good helps to empower an individual to exude the best possible version of themselves, giving them the opportunity to further their confidence and success. Dr. Teo possesses both clinical and surgical competencies, having had previous rotations in general surgery, family medicine, and ENT. His interest in aesthetics was piqued while spending several years of training in the facial plastics team within the ENT practice. Through the interactions and experiences with patients over the years, Dr. Teo decided to venture into aesthetic medicine, helping patients build their confidence and self-belief by looking their best. To keep himself at the forefront of aesthetic medicine technologies and treatments, Dr. Teo continually attends relevant local and overseas courses and conferences, notably with the renowned Dr. Mauricio de Maio. He also attended several aesthetic medicine graduate workshops held at the Singapore National Skin Centre and other prestigious centers. He has completed various courses on facial fillers, Pigment Lasers, Lasers for skin resurfacing, Fractional Lasers, Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) treatment, Lasers, and IPL for hair removal, Chemical Peels, and Devices for Skin Tightening and Body Contouring. Friendly and approachable, Dr. Teo is a family-oriented man who provides both confidence and assurance to his patients. In his free time, he enjoys skiing, football, and other sports. |
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Introduction
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Introduction
Consultant Radiologist Dr. Eugene Low was awarded the Singapore Armed Forces Medical Scholarship in 2001 to study Medicine at the National University of Singapore and attained his MBBS in 2006. Dr Low then trained and obtained his post-graduate qualifications in Diagnostic Radiology FRCR (UK) and MMed (Spore) in 2012. In 2016, he was awarded the Health Manpower Development Program (HMDP) fellowship by the Singapore Armed Forces to train in Musculoskeletal and Interventional Radiology at Vancouver General Hospital and the University of British Columbia in Canada. Under the mentorship of Prof Peter Munk, Prof Bruce Forster and Prof Hugue Ouellette, the fellowship centred on advanced musculoskeletal imaging, sports imaging and musculoskeletal interventions. Upon his return to Singapore and during his tenure as Consultant at Tan Tock Seng Hospital, he started several interventional programmes for tumour ablations (for both palliative and benign), vertebroplasties, hydrodilatation clinics for adhesive capsulitis and other musculoskeletal ultrasound-guided procedures. |
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Resident Physician Dr. Chua Boon Suan graduated from the National University of Singapore. Upon graduation, Dr. Chua has worked in various major restructured hospitals in Singapore, including the Emergency Department of Tan Tock Seng Hospital, General Medicine and General Surgery Departments of Singapore General Hospital, Obstetrics and Gynaecology Department of KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital. She was part of the SARS taskforce in TTSH and tended to ill patients with suspected SARS during the outbreak. Following these rotations, she spent the large part of her medical career in primary care in NHG polyclinics. For the last fifteen years, she has been seeing her patients in the Health Screening and Wellness Centres of various hospitals, including TTSH, Mt Alvernia, National University Hospital and Farrer Park Hospital. From her years of experience in primary care, she has developed a special interest in health screening and chronic disease prevention. She believes that patients should understand the potential health issues and identify them before they become symptomatic and difficult to treat. She also takes interest in the management of chronic diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Dr. Chua is fluent in English and Mandarin, and conversant in Hokkien and Teochew. |
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Introduction
Resident Physician Dr. Shirley Lee graduated from the National University of Singapore in 1998. She was awarded the Graduate Diploma in Family Medicine in 2007. Her clinical experience includes rotations across major restructured hospitals in Singapore. Dr. Lee is a Family Physician, who has interests in Health Screening and Preventive Medicine. Dr. Lee believes in a holistic approach to care for her patients that encompasses physical and mental well-being. Dr. Lee always advocates forming strong collaborative partnerships with her patients to achieve good health outcomes. Dr. Lee is fluent in English and Mandarin, and conversant in most dialects. |
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Resident Physician Dr Elizabeth Heah graduated from the University of Manchester in 2018. She has since been practicing in Singapore, with experience from Singapore restructured hospitals in the departments of General Surgery, Internal Medicine and Obstetrics and Gynaecology. She is passionate about preventative medicine and adopts a holistic approach to healthcare. Outside of medicine she enjoys practicing yoga, interior design and pottery. |