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| Hope & Healing, a collection of stories by Dr Ang Peng Tiam, was launched in JB |
It was good to
see Dr Ang Peng Tiam in Johor Baru for his book launch held on the 8th
anniversary celebration of CanHOPE Johor Baru recently. Last year I met Dr Ang at a regional Parkway Cancer Centre (PCC) event in Singapore and remember how he held an audience
captive with his engaging manner. Cancer
survivors in JB, their friends and family members who met the Medical Director
and Senior Consultant of Medical Oncology at PCC, paid rapt attention to his
talk on, Advances in Cancer Treatment,
because they are aware that cancer is indeed, one of the most devastating
diseases worldwide and certainly one that strikes fear in the hearts of many.
“Cancer is not a
death sentence,” said Dr Ang as he explained how doctors have the
responsibility to keep themselves updated in the advances in cancer management
and to treat each patient with dignity and compassion. In his 29 years as a cancer specialist, Dr
Ang has cared for more than 20,000 patients.
He said some 50% of his patients are Singaporean while other patients
are from the region including Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam.
A photo he
flashed on the screen depicted him in his clinic seated behind his desk, wearing
his usual white tunic, surrounded by photographs of his family. He told the audience, “I want patients to see
that I’m also human and have family members, just like them.”
Doctor Writer
In his career as
one of Asia’s leading oncologists, Dr Ang has written and published more than
100 papers and abstracts for medical journals.
In 1991, he was the founding head of the Department of Medical Oncology
at Singapore General Hospital and received Singapore’s National Science Award
in 1996 for his outstanding contributions in Medical Research. In 1997, he started his private practice with
Mount Elizabeth Hospital and in 2006, PCC was formed.
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| Dr Ang Peng Tiam [Left] at the book launch with CanHOPE JB Director, Desmond Wong |
“I like to tell
stories to my patients – stories of hope to inspire them, so that they should
not be disheartened but instead battle the illness with courage,” said Dr
Ang. He said PCC strives hard not only
to meet the physical needs of patients but also to provide necessary
psychological support to the patients.
This is done through CanHOPE counselors, monthly newsletters, regular
public seminars and TV medical documentaries.
In 2006, Dr Ang published
a book, “Doctor, I have cancer. Can you help me?” a title that was
inspired by a question he has heard numerous times in the course of his work. This book of patient stories revealed their
hope, strength and grace in the face of despair and has been translated into
nine languages. These stories aim to
inspire patients in their battle with cancer, and educate them about the truths
and myths of this disease. The follow-up
volume to his previous book, Stories of
Hope from the Cancer Clinic, included patients of other doctors in 14
stories of cancer survivors and 10 accounts by nurses, counselors and doctors
with PCC.
“Living with
cancer and fighting cancer can be a frightening experience. I hope that sharing patient stories and
showing patients that there are others who have walked the same journey and
triumphed over their illnesses, will encourage them,” said Dr Ang.
Since 2007, Dr
Ang has been contributing health articles to the Mind Your Body column in a weekly health supplement section of The Straits Times newspapers to share
his experiences and insights into the disease through patient stories in their
journey against cancer. These patient
stories, written with a good dose of compassion and humour, stated the facts as
well as shared the hope that life goes on.
A collection of 37 stories first published in Mind Your Body, are compiled into Dr Ang’s latest book entitled, Hope & Healing, a Doctor’s Reflections
on Cancer.
Doctor Friend
Over 250 guests
at the CanHOPE anniversary event benefited from Dr Ang’s engaging talk and
those who bought his book, had them signed by the author. Some 140 copies of, Hope & Healing, a Doctor’s Reflections on Cancer, were sold at
RM20 each at the event to raise funds for two cancer patient support groups in
JB. Proceeds from the book sale at the
event were equally distributed to the JB Breast Cancer Support Group and I-Care
Support Group. In addition, each group
also received 100 complimentary copies of the book for their fund raising
needs.
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| An avid audience listening to the presentation by Dr Ang Peng Tiam at the recent event held in JB |
He said his book
was not intended to make money but to share the stories to encourage people in
their journey against cancer. Many
patients die happy, rich with the love of family and friends, so his hope is
for people to be encouraged to live such meaningful lives that death will be
accepted with peace. “The common thread
that runs through each of the 37 stories is the focus on what’s really
important – enjoying a fulfilled life, helping others and spending meaningful
time with family and friends” said Dr Ang.
“Doctors not
only have to be competent and compassionate, they should also have the skill to
communicate to the patient that he cares and has the patient’s interests at
heart,” said Dr Ang, well aware that patients are eager to hear the doctor’s
offer of hope and the course of action.
He said the doctor’s journey with the patient begins from their first
encounter and continues through to the joys and trails of treatment,
follow-ups, supervision and relapses, and in the vast majority, to walk with
them in the final farewell. Dr Ang said
he tries to be as honest as possible with adult patients because he believes a
patient has the right to know about his own health. But this was not always possible.
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| Dr Ang signing a copy of his book for me! |
In a typical
work day, Dr Ang will be doing his ward rounds with inpatients by 7am and starts
to see outpatients at his clinic from 9am to 7pm. Before he heads home, he returns to the ward
to review the sicker patients. The
clinic does not stop during lunchtime so he does not take lunch but has a big
food flask filled with homemade soup which he drinks in between seeing
patients. He is able to do what he is
doing with the support of his wife, who is also a doctor, and four children who
are also pursuing medicine as a career.
Looking back, Dr
Ang is glad that he followed his calling to help in conquering cancer. He finds it personally satisfying to look
after patients and in establishing a rapport and relationship with them. He said cancer often can be controlled for
months, years and sometimes even decades, simply by continuing treatment. Over the years, many of his patients have
become like friends and family as they share their triumphs and sorrows, while
they battle the disease together like true cancer warriors.
It’s encouraging
to see the smiling faces in the audience as they listened attentively to Dr Ang
at the event. I overhear whispered
conversations declaring their admiration for the good doctor’s passion and
commitment to his calling. Like many of
them, I too cannot wait to start reading my signed copy of his book.
Fast Facts
The Parkway
Cancer Centre is operated by Parkway Pantai Limited (PPL), the largest private
healthcare provider in Singapore. Website:
www.parkwaycancercentre.com PPL owns and operates nine Pantai Hospitals
and two Gleneagles Hospitals in Peninsular Malaysia. Website: www.parkwaypantai.com CanHOPE is a PCC non-profit counseling and
support services centre that provides help and hope to patients and families
battling cancer in JB, Kuala Lumpur and Penang.
Website: www.canhope.org
A version of this article was published in The New Straits Times, Life & Times on 11 April 2015
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