Growing up, Wei Wei was no stranger to cancer. Her beloved mum fought breast cancer, ovarian cancer and finally Stage IV bladder cancer, and the many hours spent waiting throughout chemotherapy treatment and the painful side effects her mum experienced are embedded in the memories of her childhood. When Wei Wei was diagnosed with Stage III breast cancer, linked to the BRCA-1 gene mutation, she was immediately fearful around whether she had passed her gene mutation down to her children, as her mother had passed on to her. During her diagnosis, treatment and beyond, she was grateful to find support from her team at Icon Cancer Centre Singapore and her friends and family who helped her stay positive every step of the way.
In Singapore, the likelihood of women developing breast cancer in their lifetime is 5%, but women with a family history will have twice the risk. At Icon, we are proud to offer access to genetic counselling and testing through our dedicated Young Women’s Cancer Program to support young women with cancer such as Wei Wei from diagnosis through to treatment and beyond. Learn more about her story below.