Dose comparison image credit to Oklahoma Proton Center. Esophageal cancer is a malignancy that arises in the esophagus, the tube that carries food from the mouth to the stomach. For early-staged esophageal cancers ( small tumours without nodal spread), surgery alone is sufficient. When tumours are bigger or have spread to lymph nodes, chemotherapy and/or […]

Chordoma is a rare tumour which is thought to arise from remnants of the embryonic notochord (cartilage). Generally, it is slow-growing, although rarely, some chordomas can be more aggressive. It can grow anywhere along the spine column. Today we will discuss skull base chordomas specifically due to the complex treatment strategy required. Managing base of […]

Adjuvant radiotherapy is indicated in patients with node spread of breast cancer, even after a mastectomy. The benefit is larger in patients with more than 3 lymph node involvement. Patients with risk factors such as young age, high grade of cancer or larger tumour also benefit from radiotherapy. In recent times, the uptake of neoadjuvant […]

Lung cancers are one of the commonest tumours in Asia. It is the leading cause of cancer death in men and second leading cause in women worldwide. Most lung cancers are attributable to smoking and environmental factors in men, but in women, only half. In non-smoking Asian females, cancer genes mutated tumours are more prevalent. […]

Surgery in oral cancers? Lower doses of radiotherapy for HPV cancers? Oropharyngeal carcinomas can be caused by environmental factors (smoking, alcohol etc.) or viral-driven. Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, a common transmitted disease, has been associated with the development of many cancers, including oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) of the head and neck. While traditional, environmentally […]

What are gliomas and the different types? Gliomas are a type of tumor that arises from glial cells in the central nervous system (CNS), which includes the brain and spinal cord. Glial cells provide support and protection to neurons, and there are different types of glial cells, such as astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, and ependymal cells. Gliomas […]

For locals Singaporeans and permanent residents can utilize medisave and medishield life. Many patients have integrated plans on top of medishield. For needy patients, there are further help via medifund, medication assistance funds and from other sources like Singapore Cancer Society. Medisave Medisave is a national savings plan. You can use it for inpatient treatments […]

Stereotactic body radiotherapy ( SBRT) is an effective option for patients with small non-small-cell lung tumours ( NSCLC) who are not suitable for surgery. It is also done to eradicate small relapses near the initial tumour after a lobectomy ( surgery for primary lung cancer). Even in patients with distant metastases, but experiencing good cancer […]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5v76hrhW1Mg&t=4shttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bD-CCIyrtLY Radiotherapy techniques Radiotherapy is a very effective treatment for NPC. In early-stage NPC, the cure rate is over 90%. Even in more advanced stages, radiotherapy can shrink the tumor and improve symptoms. The cure rates from a large Chinese cohort study showed that even in patients with lower-staged cancers have a progression-free probability of […]