Skin Cancers
According to Singapore Cancer Registry, skin cancer ranks number 6th among men and women. Skin Cancers are divided into melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC). Melanoma is the malignant tumour of the melanocytes (pigment cells) and they behave more aggressive than NMSC. Fortunately melanomas are less common than NMSC. NMSC consists of basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Types of Skin Cancers The most common skin cancer is BCC. It is slow growing and usually occurs in the sun-exposed area. They can...
read moreHealth Matters: Cardiovascular Disease & Screening.
We live in an era of unparalleled advance, and by all impressions, things only look set to get better. Advances in science and technology have spurred many modern medical breakthroughs .Life expectancies continue to grow, and our overall health has improved. In the past, infectious diseases such as pneumonia and sepsis were the major causes of death, and polio used to be the major cause of disability. In the modern age of antibiotics and vaccines, these threats have all but disappeared. Instead, over the decades, we’ve seen the rise of...
read moreThe Unforgettables – Dr Tan’s winning entry
In 2013, Novartis Singapore organized a Social Project called The Unforgettables. During this competition, the public and healthcare professionals alike were encouraged to write essays on they experience taking care of the elderly and to share tips on how to better take care of them. Dr Tan’s entry was one of the 4 winners of the competition. The prize money was donated to RSVP and AWWA. Read Dr. Tan’s entry here: Realizing mortality It is often said that youth is...
read moreMy Child & I: Vaccination – Part IV
In Parts I, II and III, we’ve learnt about vaccines, how they work and what vaccine series and boosters are. In this section, we’re going to look more in detail regarding the particular vaccines you should be giving your child. Part IV: Vaccine Recommendations & the Law How do I know what vaccines I should get for my child? Identifying what vaccines should be given to your child can be a major challenge indeed. Recommendations for vaccines change from year to year, and vaccines against new diseases are being developed all...
read moreMy Child & I: Vaccination – Part III
In Part I of this series, we discussed the basic workings of vaccines, while in Part II we described the differences between the different types of vaccine available and how it can affect your child’s vaccination. Here we shall learn a bit more about vaccination series and boosters. Dont forget to read Part IV for more information. Part III: Vaccine series & boosters What is a vaccine series? In Part I of this series, we had mentioned how vaccines try to lock the immune response into the long-term memory cells of the immune system....
read more