Saturday 22 March 2008

DIGITAL INFRA-BREAST THERMOGRAPHY : AN ALTERNATIVE TO MAMMOGRAM

Hi all readers, here is something which I received over email that I would like to share with you...


Published Saturday, March 1, 2008, Singapore

Dread feeling the squeeze?Breast thermography has come to town - a much easier way than mammography to detect breast cancer, writes MELISSA HENG


WOULDN'T it be wonderful if there were a test that could offer women early detection of breast cancer without the dread and discomfort associated with mammograms? Dr Wong:


Early detection is crucial.
If you know way in advance - 8-10 years earlier, with thermography - that there's a cancerous growth, treatment can be very targeted and quick surgical intervention may save you a breast Well, now there is.
Breast thermography has made its way to our shores recently and it promises women 'no squeeze' breast screenings. In fact, there is no contact with a woman's breasts at all.
But here's the really great thing about this form of screening: it can detect cancerous growth 8-10 years in advance, which is way ahead of what mammography can do. 'Thermography is a non-invasive and non-contact imaging technique that uses infra-red to detect heat,' explains Clinique Suisse's Dr YM Wong, whose clinic at Paragon Medical Centre was the first to bring the technology to Singapore last year.
'Most cancers take 8-10 years to grow to one centimetre in size, but the cancer's growth accelerates greatly after this. So by the time you feel a lump in the breast, it may be already past the first stage, and that affects your chances of survival,' says Dr Wong, who has more than 20 years of gynaecological experience.

A session lasts all of five minutes ... The machine will take a series of infra-red shots, which will be sent to a computer and the result of the readings will be out within minutes.

Breast cancer makes up almost 30 per cent of all female cancers here. Each year, about 1,000 women are diagnosed with the condition. The disease occurs almost entirely in women, although a small number of men do get it too.
As in any other form of cancer, breast cancer is primarily a malignant tumour. Specifically, the breast cancer tumour develops from the cells near or around the breast. These cancer cells, if not arrested and destroyed, may spread to other parts of the body.
With thermography, detection can be made at the cell stage, before the cancer becomes a tumour or spreads to other parts of the body. 'Any object in the body that is above the absolute temperature of zero will emit heat and all such hot spots will be picked up by infra-red,' explains Dr Wong.
Developed from army technology and used initially to trace troop movements, digital infra-red thermography has been around for more than a decade. It was approved by the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) for use medically in the US in the 1980s. 'Breast thermography is superior to the mammogram in so many ways, even though the latter is the current gold standard in breast screening.
This, I am sure, will soon change,' predicts Dr Wong, who stresses that thermography has no side effects whatsoever and is completely safe, even for young women. 'You can do a session a day and still be none the worse for it because there's no radiation at all,' assures Dr Wong. So far, he has performed more than 200 screenings here using thermography.
'Thermography has a sensitivity level or accuracy rate of between 84 and 98 per cent, which compares favourably with the mammogram's 86 per cent,' claims Dr Wong, who charges $150 for the first thermography session and $100 thereafter for any repeat sessions. A mammogram done at a private clinic could cost anywhere between $120 and $200.
According to Dr Wong, breast thermography is suitable for women of any age and is a particularly attractive option for women who have had breast augmentation work done before. 'A woman who has had silicone implants done earlier in her youth, for example, may experience a leak under the pressure of the mammogram squeeze because such implants do deteriorate with time.
With thermography, there is no such problem at all,' says Dr Wong. A thermography session lasts all of five minutes. All that is required is for the patient to sit about two metres away from a special camera-like piece of equipment, remove her blouse and bra and rotate her body as directed.
The machine will take a series of infra-red shots, which will be sent to a computer and the result of the readings will be out within minutes. 'The readings will show up as patches of colour. The cooler parts of the body will show up blue, whereas the hotter parts will show up red. Yellows and greens are variations, showing the degree of heat. So if I see a patch of red on an otherwise blue-coloured breast, that's an indication something is not right,' explains Dr Wong.
He cautions, however, that screening and diagnosis are two entirely different things and women should not take their screening results as gospel truth. 'There is only one way to diagnose breast cancer and that is through a biopsy. That's the only sure way to confirm a screening test, be it thermography, mammography or ultra-sound,' he says. As for treatment, there are various options, depending on the stage of the disease.
In Singapore , about 80 per cent of patients seek treatment in the early stages of breast cancer, and survival rates are high in the majority of these cases. 'Treatment choice will depend on how far the disease has spread.
That is why early detection is crucial. If you know way in advance that there's a cancerous growth, treatment can be very targeted and quick surgical intervention may save you a breast,' says Dr Wong.
Breast-conserving surgery, commonly known as lumpectomy, in which only the tumour is removed rather than the whole breast, is often preferred, although this may not always be possible, depending on how far the cancer has progressed.
Women with a more advanced stage of breast cancer may require chemotherapy in addition to surgery. But medical intervention aside, early detection will allow a woman to take her own set of precautionary measures.
'We all know that some women are more at risk than others. Now, if your thermogram shows up a suspicious growth, in addition to a biopsy and whatever treatments that follow, the woman herself can start to turn her lifestyle around. With 8-10 years of advance warning, she has time to adopt a healthier lifestyle, cut down on alcohol, quit smoking, etc,' says Dr Wong. But there is nothing like stealing a march on cancer, and breast thermography could do just that.

Those interested may contact Clinique Suisse at 6235-4040 .The clinic is located at 290 Orchard Road, #08-01, Paragon Medical Centre

Wednesday 19 March 2008

Breast Cancer

On this rainy morning, I can't seem to breath normally. My heart is heavy and my mind is so engulfed by many unanswered questions.

Hubby came back last night with a bad news. A friend of us was diagnosed with Stage II breast cancer and was immediately sent in for mastectomy. All this happened in less than a month.

The questions that clouded my mind were:
1. She is a very health concious person
2. She exercises regularly
3. She promotes cancer awareness and preventative ways of living
4. She is a very kind person that helps out in charitable organisations (Although this is not relevant, but I can't help but to question myself.)

Why bad luck has to befall on her? So much so that I have come to a conclusion that no one has the immunity to be exempted from cancer attack, no matter how much we try to prevent it.

I would like to share the following information with you on cancer which I've received earlier:
____________________________________________________

Medical Info : CANCER

Please note the following :
CANCER : Not all cancers are the same. 1/3 is curable. 1/3 is preventable.
2 factors of cancer that cannot be controlled are AGE & FAMILY HISTORY.

CAUSES OF CANCER:
1. Smoking is very often the main cause of cancer.
It kills us silently and drains money from us quietly. There’re 4,000 harmful chemicals (though in diluted form) in one stick of cigarette. Taking one puff is 600 times worse than inhaling exhaust fumes from vehicles.

2. Some foods that cause cancer is :
a. Barbecued Food
b. Deep Fried Food
c. Overheating Meat
d. Food that is high in fat causes our bile to secrete acid that contains a chemical which is a promoter of cancer cells.
e. Food that contains preservatives, too much salt or nitrates, e.g. canned food, salted egg & veggies, sausages, etc.
f. Overnight Rice (where Aflatoxin is accumulated)
g. Food that is low in fibre : Our body needs 25gm of both soluble & insoluble fibre daily. We must drink at least 1.5 litres of plain water a day.
h. Contaminated Food (e.g. moulded bread causes our body to secrete toxins that may eventually lead to liver cancer in the long run. Never eat bread that is kept in room temperature for more than 2 days especially in a humid weather.)

3. Types of fat and which is the best?

Highly Recommended for Health :
a. Olive Oil - It does not absorb in our body.
b. Fish Oil - Omega 3 (contained in NI’s Circulytes) has poly-unsaturated fat. It’s good for our brain cells.
c. Peanut Oil - It contains Vitamin E. A small dosage is recommended only.

4. Not Recommended for Health

a. Vegetable Fat - Palm oil is worse than coconut oil. It is high in cholesterol and highly unsaturated.
b. Coconut Oil - It has saturated fat.

5. Specific Food & Beverages
a. Egg when eaten too much can cause High Colon Cancer, Risk Ovary Cancer, Prostate Cancer.
b. Cabbage is highly recommended for health reason.
c. Tomato is best eaten raw with a bit of olive oil for better absorption. Other alternative is to take tomato sauce. Do not boil – tomatoes became acidic when boiled.
d. A little coffee is good because it contains 2 anti- oxidants. Inhale coffee aroma for half each day is equivalent to eating 2 oranges a day. However, the residue of over-burned coffee is extremely bad for health. It can cause cancer.
e. Tea, as long as it is in its original tealeaves and not processed into BOH or Lipton packets, it is good for health. Tea contains 30 anti-oxidants. Recommended dosage is a cup a day.

EXERCISE AND BE FIT
Have a balanced lifestyle. Exercise regularly.

F : Frequency : 3 to 5 times a week.
I : Intensity : Exercise till we sweat and breath deeply.
T : Types of exercises : Find one that suits our age, lifestyle…

HAVE REGULAR CHECK-UP once we reach the age of 45 & above, it is recommended that we go for regular comprehensive health examination. Early detection can save lives.

Monday 17 March 2008

An Everyday Survival Kit



Toothpick, Rubber band, Band aid, Pencil, Eraser, Chewing gum, Mint, Candy Kisses, Tea Bag -

Here's why:

Toothpick - to remind you to pick out the good qualities in others...Matt 7:1

Rubber band - to remind you to be flexible, things might not always go the way you want, but it will work out.Romans 8:28

Band Aid - to remind you to heal hurt feelings, yours or someone else's...Col.3:12-14

Pencil - To remind you to list your blessings everyday Eph 1:3

Eraser - to remind you that everyone makes mistakes, and it's okay... Gen. 50:15-21

Chewing gum - to remind you to stick with it and you can accomplish anything ...Phil 4:13

Mint - to remind you that you are worth a mint to your heavenly father ...John 3:16-17

Candy Kisses - to remind you that everyone needs a kiss or a hug everyday ...1 John 4:7

Herb Tea bag - to remind you to relax daily and go over that list of God's blessings...1 Thess 5:18

This is my gift to you। May God richly bless you.


To the world, you may just be somebody...but to somebody, you may be the world.

Friday 14 March 2008

Six Billion Paths to Peace


An email received today made me excited! It was an invitation to New York to attend a rally – Six Billion Paths to Peace, initiated by Shinnyo-en Foundation.
I am not excited about going to New York, but rather about my blog being able to reach someone across the world that shares the same belief as mine.

Mr David Fishman from the Shinnyo-en Foundation said this in the email, “For many of us, a path to peace is about performing small selfless acts of kindness they take in their daily lives, which in return often inspire others to do the same; perhaps by sharing your efforts on your blog, and others can be compelled to contribute as well”.
Yes, I have all along been aspired to spread the message of love, compassion and the readiness to help through my blog and harbored with the hope of creating positive ripple effects that bring about greater harmony and peace to the world, as I believe that every small little way counts.

He also encouraged me to join in by writing my path to peace here, which I hope all of you readers out there can also drop a line or two to help amplify and inspire others and thus help achieve the six billion target and at the same time help making this world a better place.
The path to peace submitted on the website or by text messaging to 334455 on March 20th, will be shared with millions of others on the Reuters board that day! It's fun and meaningful, don’t miss this chance folks!

There are no great things, only small things with great love. Happy are those.
~ Mother Teresa

Tuesday 11 March 2008

HAPPINESS

HAPPINESS to me is:
I get to wake up feeling healthy everyday
I get to see my hubby going to work
I get to see my children going to school
I get to do some gardening work
I get to spend quality time with my baby and pets
I get to say my prayers
I get to sit down to read and write
I get to cook favourite dishes for my family
I get to eat any food that I like
I get to do my workout three times a week
I get to help people the way I like
I don't see any reason why I should not be happy.
Because I believe that we should thank God for every small little things that we could do, eat, see and live life;

To the less fortunate, life can be very different...












Tuesday 4 March 2008

International Women Day, first thing first, go for your check up!

Subsidized Mammogram Program

In view that the International Women Day is just around the corner and my recent medicalcheck-up at the SJMC, I have decided to do a post on Breast Cancer in order to create awareness on the nation's topkiller disease amongst women.

The ultra modern equipment that are available at private hospitals nowadays are those with the latest cutting technology and are amongst the most advance in the country, if not the world. The Digital Mammogram and High Resolution Ultra Sound can pick up almost anything that is inside our breasts. Then again, nothing comes cheap. You pay top dollars to have a peace of mind.

In order to help the middle and lower income group of Malaysians, the Government has come up with a subsidy program for women to do mammogram screening at the appointed clinics and hospitals around the country.

"Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in women in Malaysia. Women aged 40 and above are encouraged to undergo mammogram screening apart from performing self breast examination and clinical breast examination" - exclaimed from the official website of the Ministry of Lembaga Penduduk dan Pembangunan Keluarga Negara Malaysia.

I urge that all women to adhere to the above advice to undergo regular mammogram screening. However, there is this category of women who belong to this high risk group for breast cancer.

Fulfillment of any one of the following matching factors will qualify a person into that category:

(a) Family history of breast cancer
i. Mother, sisters or daughters ever had breast cancer before the age of 50 years; and
ii. Two or more maternal or paternal relatives ever had breast cancer (grandmother, aunt, niece)
(b) Previous history of atypia on breast biopsy;
(c) Previous history of breast cancer or ovarian cancer; or
(d) Currently on hormone replacement theraphy

OR having any two of the following factors:

(a) Family history of ovarian cancer
i. Mother, sister or daughters ever had ovarian cancer before the age of 50 years; and
ii. Two or more maternal or paternal relatives ever had ovarian cancer (grandmother, aunt, niece)
(b) Women who have no children or who had their first child after the age 30 years; or
(c) Had her first menstrual period before the age of 12; or
(d) Body Mass Index of more than 30

For more information and registration for the above Subsidized Mammogram Program, please visit their Website.

Remember, early detection saves lives.












Sunday 2 March 2008

Zoo Volunteers, you are doing us proud!

The thought of bringing children to the Zoo can be very educational, one must agree, right? But you are very wrong.

Our pride were down the pits this morning when we visited our very own Zoo Negara in Ulu Klang with little Valerie. The place was literally unkempt from the moment we set foot until the moment we walked out. It gave people the feeling of filthy and full of fungus everywhere. From the "fungi-moist" stone chair that we sat down to feed Valerie milk till the road signs, rubbish bins, restaurant's table and chairs, they were all full of dirt and fungus, let alone the animals' enclosures.

The Zoo cannot even provide a decent place for us to have a proper meal. The "air-conditioned" restaurant we stepped in was not "air-conditioned" but the stench of ammonia gushed out from it put us off immediately. Then we walked to the nearby "open-air" restaurant, just take a look at the tables and chairs, the "out-of-order" children rides, 2 out of 2 that is, and the soiled tissues strewn around the wash basins, you simply can't blame us for feeling embarrassed sitting next to some foreign visitors. Where is our dignity?

The saving grace for the day was that we met up with a few groups of volunteers that came by providing their services to the Zoo. Saw them working full heartedly for a good cause, it should put someone responsible to shame, right?



Can you believe this bin is at the food serving place?


Is it very difficult to scrub off the road signages fungus?


Anyone care / dare to take a sit?


The broken table, chairs and children rides, all in one place...


Cleaners cleaners where are you?


A nice deserted hut with a piece of broken plank just next to the lake side


Thanks to this pothole, my hubby had a foot bath in it while he was busy taking pictures for us


Oh girls, you all certainly make this place livelier and cleaner, thumbs up to you, SMK Jalan Ipoh


Volunteers from Tunku Abdul Rahman College came in big force to help out the Zoo


In the act!


Our thumbs up gesture did help a little to drive them on


Keep it up, the future of our country!


You are doing Malaysia PROUD!

Saturday 1 March 2008

HAPPY 21st Birthday to You - Vivian






Today is the day of your "official" freedom, the day to independence, the day to adulthood...

Remember life is full of ups and downs, may you have the courage, strength and perseverance to face the challenges coming your way. Remember too that life can be very sweet, so enjoy every moment of it and live life to the fullest.

Happy 21st Birthday Vivian & lots of love from the whole family.

The More You Give


The more you give, the more you get
The more you laugh, the less you fret.

The more you do unselfishly
The more you live abundantly.

The more of everything you share,
The more you'll always have to spare.

The more you love, the more you'll find
That life is good and friends are kind.

For only what we give away,
Enriches us from day to day.

~ Author Unknown