Dr Aiesha (left) with Ace Canning Corporation head of nutrition unit Soo Sek Yow during the launch of the campaign. Photo: Handout
DR Aiesha Asmadi was 21 when she was first diagnosed with breast cancer.
She was a medical student undergoing her surgical posting when one day, during a breast self-examination, she found a tiny, painless lump on her left breast.
As a medical student, she knew exactly what to do.
“I understood that all lumps needed to be investigated with a clinical examination, imaging and tissue biopsy,” she said.
She did all three and found that she had stage two triple- negative breast cancer. What followed was a lumpectomy, chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
“I was very young then,” says Dr Aiesha, who is now 41, “so of course I was shocked and surprised. I was an active person. I did martial arts and cardio exercises but I was living a high-stress life. My idea of relaxation was binge-watching TV shows or movies,” she says.
For the next five years, Dr Aiesha monitored her condition, and things were looking good until one day, just about when she wanted to celebrate her fifth year of being in remission, another tiny lump appeared, this time on her right breast.
Her doctor told her that this new lump was unrelated to the earlier one, and she caught the cancer at stage one. Still, she was disappointed.
“I thought I had done all I could to prevent a recurrence, but it happened again. Even though I knew what to expect when it comes to treatment, I was still angry,” she says.
She was a medical doctor then, working in an emergency department.
“I asked myself, ‘What didn’t I learn from the last episode?’” she says.
Pivoted dream
She thought long and hard about her life and cancer diagnosis and decided that maybe, she needs to pivot her dreams and prioritise her health and well-being.
“Maybe pursuing my dream was not in the best interest of my health,” she says.
“Cancer can be sporadic. We understand risk factors but we don’t understand direct cause, which varies from one person to another,” she says.
That pivot brought her to learn about medical fitness and exercise prescription, to tailormake exercise protocols based on a person’s medical condition.
But before that, she had another decision to make – whether or not to do a double mastectomy, given that she has been diagnosed with breast cancer twice. She decided to do it as a preventive measure, but that didn’t come without its own emotional toll.
“I saw a psychiatrist to start my grieving early, so when the time came, I would not feel so down. I believe that one’s mental and physical health have to be aligned if one wants to be healthy and happy,” she says.
Dr Aiesha did her postgraduate training in Sports Medicine in Universiti Malaya and is a certified exercise prescriber by the Society of Exercise is Medicine Malaysia.
She also leads The Cancer Thriver Programme to empower patients post-treatment with medically supervised exercise coaching.
Her achievements in aesthetic sports include Fit Angel Classic Champion (2017) and first runner-up for Miss Universe National Amateur Bodybuilders’ Association (Nabba) in 2023. In 2024, she was also awarded Best Achievement Award (Female Bodybuilding Athlete) by the Youth and Sports Ministry.
Dr Aiesha says while it may be hard, women should not panic when they receive a breast cancer diagnosis. Photo: Dr Aiesha Asmadi
Treatment and support
Dr Aiesha says while it may be hard, women should not panic when they receive a breast cancer diagnosis.
“New treatments are advanced and modern, and even side effects now are considerably less than when I underwent treatment. There’s always hope, but get yourself screened early so any intervention can start during the early stage of the disease,” she says.
“New patients should also get the right support. There are a lot of ‘predators’ who will prey on your vulnerability and offer ‘supplements’ that they say work. Don’t go there. Trust your doctor and communicate with him or her so you get a clearer idea of your treatment and the disease,” she says.
She admits that battling breast cancer makes one vulnerable and overwhelmed, and support is supremely important in the journey.
“Cancer disrupts everything – your life, your relationships and your routine. Be prepared to see that cancer may reveal who your real support system is. You will see who meets your needs and who doesn’t. It can be an eye-opening journey and a discovery, good and bad,” she says.
“I think some of the most useful things that people can do for a cancer patient is to help them with routine tasks; trips to the hospital, laundry, house cleaning and food. If these loads are taken away, we feel so much lighter and better,” she says.
New patients should also make new friends and strike a conversation with other patients when they go for treatment.
“Human connections have a positive impact on your life and outlook. And you’ll never know when you will meet someone who shares your struggles,” she adds.
For Dr Aiesha, her current job – to support others through their recovery via exercise – is rewarding.
“It feels great to be able to help others,” she says. “Maybe I’m not fit to work in a hospital or any other high-stress environments.”
Breast cancer is the most common cancer among Malaysian women. Photo: Freepik
Reason to screen
While most people know breast cancer screening helps detect the disease when it is at an early stage and easier to treat, many don’t go for one.
A nationwide 2023 survey revealed that seven in 10 women believe screening is only needed when symptoms appear and many avoid checks due to fear or the clinical hospital environment.
It says Malaysia continues to face low breast cancer screening rates and patients with delayed presentation of breast cancer. Consultant breast and endocrine surgeon Dr Nani Harlina Md Latar emphasises that breast screening is not about fear, but empowerment.
“We want to give women the confidence to get screened, knowing that these tools are powerful, designed for their health and well-being,” she said. Dr Nani Harlina was speaking at the launch of Homesoy’s ‘Stop That Dot Together’ campaign, held in conjunction with Breast Cancer Awareness Month, to encourage more women to go for screening.
The campaign wants to turn screening into an act of care, and it encourages women to get screened with other women – mothers, aunts, friends, daughters – to make it less intimidating. “We want Malaysians to get screened together and embrace good nutrition as the foundation for long-term wellness,” says Ace Canning Corporation marketing director Chang Wan Ping.
Breast cancer is the most common cancer among Malaysian women, with the World Health Organisation (WHO) reporting that one in 20 women will develop it in their lifetime. According to the Malaysia National Cancer Registry 2017-2021, more than half of cases (50.5%) are detected late, at stage three or four, which limits treatment options and survival.
Cancer Research Malaysia post-doctoral scientist Dr Ang Boon Hong adds: “We can’t change our genes, but we can choose healthier habits – like keeping a good weight, staying active, staying smoke-free and getting checked.”
