What is a cancer?
Cancer can start in almost any organ or part of the body in which abnormal cells grow without control.
Surgery is generally necessary to remove the tumour that contains the cancerous cells.
Types of cancers
Cancers can occur anywhere in our body.
In Malaysia, the most common cancers for men are colorectal and lung cancer. And breast and cervical cancer are the commonest among women.
Laparoscopic surgery
Laparoscopic surgery is one of the possible ways to excise a tumour. A surgeon will make a few small incisions on the abdomen to perform the surgery.
As the incision is small, the patient requires fewer painkillers. Hospital stay will be shorter too.
After surgery
Some cancers are curable post-surgery. However, some cancers require chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
And in the process, a regular follow-up with the attending surgeon is necessary to ensure no new cancer cells are present.
Dr Pok Eng Hong
MBBS (UM), Ms (UM)
MMC Full Registration No. 39251, NSR No. 129579
Dr Pok is a laparoscopic and bariatric surgeon in Subang Jaya Medical Centre. Graduated from the University of Malaya in 2001, he completed his Masters of Surgery in his alma mater in 2009.
He subsequently trained at the National Cancer Centre of Japan as an advanced therapeutic endoscopist. Soon after, he completed his bariatric and metabolic surgery fellowship in Taiwan.
In 2015, he received the Soudavar Memorial Fellowship in surgical oncology at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York.
