ENT Insights and Blogs

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is one of the most common head and neck cancers in Chinese men in Southeast Asia. Haemoptysis — coughing up blood — can be the first and only symptom of NPC, and is frequently misattributed to the lungs or throat. The nasopharynx cannot be seen without specialist equipment — a normal GP or general examination does not exclude a nasopharyngeal tumour EBV (Epstein-Barr virus) blood titres are a key diagnostic and monitoring tool in NPC.

Head and neck cancer encompasses malignancies of the throat, voice box, mouth, nose, salivary glands, and neck lymph nodes. In Singapore, nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC) is particularly prevalent, especially in men of Chinese ethnicity. Key warning signs include a persistent neck lump, hoarseness lasting more than 3 weeks, a mouth ulcer that won't heal, and one-sided nasal or ear symptoms. Treatment combines surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy depending on cancer type and sta

A diagnosis of thyroid cancer is frightening, and the prospect of surgery adds another layer of anxiety. One of the most important things I try to convey to patients at the outset is this: thyroid cancer is one of the most treatable cancers we know of.

There are four main types of thyroid cancer — papillary, follicular, medullary, and anaplastic — each with different biological behaviour, treatment approach, and prognosis. Papillary thyroid cancer, the most common type, has an excellent long-term prognosis with appropriate surgical and radioiodine treatment, while anaplastic thyroid cancer is rare but aggressive and requires urgent multidisciplinary management.