Dolly’s double shock

Cancer has dealt actress Koh Chieng Mun, who found fame asDolly in the Singapore sitcom Under One Roof, a double blow.But she is staying positive as she recuperates from surgery toremove cancerous tumours from her left kidney and breast,SARAH NG reports. 

THE first indication of a problem came one morning last month as actress Koh Chieng Mun was examining her breasts. 

She found a lump in her right breast during the self-examination, a routine she began five years ago after becoming one of four celebrity spokesmen promoting early breast screening. 

She did not dally. On Oct 31, doctors took a biopsy and diagnosed Stage 1 breast cancer. 

TAKING A BREAK: Koh has planned on a one-year rest to recuperate from her Illness.

The worst was not over. Two days later, doctors found a tumour in her left kidney, which appeared to be cancerous. 

Nine days later, she underwent surgery. Both tumours were successfully removed during an eight-hour operation on Nov 11.  

A day after the surgery, a family member told Singapore’s The Sunday Times that she was resting well and would stay in hospital for a few more days.  

Koh began radiation this week, which will certainly tax the energy of the TV veteran who found fame in the 1990s as housewife Dolly in the local English sitcom Under One Roof. 

She told The Sunday Times on the eve of her surgery that she would be taking at least a year off work: “I’ve been working non-stop for many years. It’s time to take things one day at a time”. 

During a telephone interview last Thursday, she recalled the darkest 12 days in her 45 years. 

“I was devastated to be dealt, not only cancer, but also a tumour in an organ as vital as the kidney. Yes, I broke down and cried,” she said. 

She was also gripped by fear: “I wondered how much time I would have left, what my chances of being cured would be, how would I spend my life afterwards.” 

But the staunch Catholic came to accept her condition, and wanted to promote the importance of early detection. 

“I want people to know that, if discovered early, the conditions I have are treatable. You need to be positive to fight the battle.” 

Actor Moses Lim, who played her husband Tan Ah Teck in Under One Roof, is confident that she can overcome her illness. 

“Chieng Mun always looks on the bright side. I believe she is brave enough to win this battle.” 

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among Singapore women, says the Breast Cancer Foundation. At least three women are diagnosed with it daily and about 270 die from it every year. 

Koh’s kidney tumour, however, is far less common. The Singapore Cancer Registry shows 731 cases of cancer of the kidney and other urinary organs between 1998 and 2002. This works out to 1.4% of all cancers in women and 2.4% in men. 

The tumour was discovered when Koh was given a full health check to see if her cancer had spread to other parts of the body. 

Dr Gordon Ku, a nephrologist specialising in kidney diseases, says over 90% of kidney tumours are cancerous and symptoms include blood in the urine, swelling of the abdomen and abdominal pain.  

Koh said she suffered no symptoms and her family also did not have a history of breast cancer or kidney tumour. 

The third of four children, she lives with her parents in Outram Park, a few doors away from her older sister. She has two brothers. 

“My family has been super-supportive and a source of my optimism and courage. Having an elder brother who is an oncologist is especially reassuring.” 

Equally uplifting have been the supportive words of such close friends as composer and singer Dick Lee and entertainment company Music & Movement chief executive Lim Sek. 

“They told me they would be behind me all the way,” she said. 

Koh, who played Dolly from the launch of the TV series in 1995, continued to stay busy after it ended in 2002. 

In 2002, she was cast as Ronda, the lovelorn secretary in another TV sitcom, Living With Lydia, starring veteran Hong Kong actress Lydia Sum. The series ended early this year. 

Koh also acts on stage, leads food tours to China, and teaches speech and communication skills in schools. 

But she has had to cancel several work communications including two films next year and the classes she had scheduled. 

Her last stage performance was Chinese folktale 10 Brothers, a Toy Factory Theatre Ensemble production about 10 boys with super powers. It ended its run recently but Koh performed in only four of the 14 shows. 

But the self-confessed “big planner” has mapped out one big project while she recuperates: a cookbook on healthy meals for people who are convalescing. 

And she is inviting people to e-mail her at [e-mail] “If you have been ill, you can share your experiences, or you can just say hello. But please, no gifts. If you want to give something, give it to the Make-A-Wish Foundation Singapore or any other charity,” she said. 

The foundation to which she refers grants the wishes of children with terminal illnesses. – The Sunday Times/ Asia News Network