Many Malaysians are shocked Datuk Lee Chong Wei,35, has early stage nose cancer and.thousands have left positive messages wishing the three-time Olympic silver medallist and 12-time Malaysian Open champion a speedy recoevery. Since he has early stage cancer, there is hope for Lee, a father of two young sons.
According to Ipoh Pantai Hospital Ear, Nose and Throat Consultant and Head and Neck Surgeon, Dr Rekha Balachandran, who was interviewed by the Malaysian Nasional News Agency (BERNAMA), Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma (NPC) is a type of nose cancer most common among Malaysian Chinese, followed by the Malay and Indian communities. In Sarawak, there is also a high incidence of NPC among the Bidayuhs.
Dr Rekha said the first symptom of NPC was often painless swelling or lump in the upper neck. The second symptom was nose bleeding. Other symptoms were nasal blockage or stuffiness and reduced hearing, especially on one side.
She pointed out that NPC could be treated if detected at an early stage. She said the five-year survival rate was actually quite high, adding that for stages one and two, the survival rate was 80 to 85 oer cent. Dr Rekha revealed that she had personally seen some patients with NPC survived as long as 20 years. “As long as it is detected before the tumour spreads too much,” she told Bernama.
Dr Rekha added that reducing or eliminating some types of food might lower the NPC risk. Diet, she stressed, should be balanced and urged the public to eat more fresh greens and fruits and avoid preserved food. A popular South Korean actor diagnosed with NPC is Kim Woo Bin, 29. The stage of his cancer is unclear.
The star of hit Korean films and TV dramas such as “Master”, “School 2013” and “The Heirs” was first diagnosed with NPC in May, 2017 and from May, 2017 until December, 2017, he was reported to have undergone chemotherapy three times and radiation therapy 35 times. He is still undergoing cancer treatment. My half brother, John died two years ago at the age of 38, leaving behind then a 15-year-old daughter and his wife. Looking after John as he slowly faded away and seeing him die at such a young age were traumatic experiences for me. Having undergone such pains of seeing a loved one suffer, I can understand how Lee’s family currently feels. John found out that he had NPC late.
Being a simple person, he thought he would recover and so he religiously underwent all the chemotherapy and radiation sessions. I think he underwent more than 30 of the sessions. Each time he met the doctors, he asked if he was getting better and the doctors said: “Yes.” But I thought otherwise and was quite disappointed the doctors were not honest with him. How could be getting better when he was practically wilting before my eyes and the eyes of his family? All human beings have to die one day. But some will die suddenly, with no last words and leaving their families shocked and in despair. Others, like my late brother, John, will wither slowly and suffer every day until they die. John was a handsome man.
When he died, he was just skin and bones. But whether human beings die suddenly or leave the earth after a long time on the sick bed, the families they leave behind are the ones who suffer the most; they suffer with them and have to pick up the pieces in life after they are gone.
There is no doubt that money can ease the sufferings for the families left behind; it can be used to buy the coffins, pay for the funeral expenses as well as settle all the debts left behind by the persons who have passed on. I first became aware that Lee had nose cancer when Deputy Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan ismail called on Malaysians to pray for him.
“Aggrieved to hear that Datuk Lee Chong Wei is suffering from early stage nose cancer. Chong Wei is currently undergoing treatment in Taiwan. “Let us all pray for DLCW’s complete recovery,” she said via Twitter in a news report carried by BERNAMA. Some of my friends ask me why the news about Lee’s nose cancer has been publicised. I told her: “if you are famous and a public figure like Lee, you cannot avoid the publicity.”
Besides, badminton fans had been wondering why Lee withdrew this year from two major competitions – the World Championships in Nanjing, China and the Asian Games in Indonesia. One of the good things that has come out from this disclosure of Lee’s nose cancer by the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) is that suddenly, there are stories about nose cancer and other cancers in the newspapers. Thanks to Lee, more members of the public are now aware of NPC.
Lee has promised he will return to the court in an encouraging voice message from Taiwan where he is seeking treatment recently. Yes, recover fully and return to the court, Datuk Lee Chong Wei!.
