Singapore 2017

KK Women's and Children's Hospital
Neurosurgical Service
Head & Consultant
MbbCH.(Ireland), MRCS (Ed), M.Med Surgery (S’pore), FRCS (Neurosurgery), FAMS

Dr David Low is a graduate from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. He completed his basic surgical training in 2004 where he obtained his membership in General Surgery conferred by the Royal College of Surgeons in Edinburgh (MRCS Ed). During this time he also completed his Master of Medicine in Surgery (MMed) conferred by the National University of Singapore. Dr Low did his advanced surgical training at the National Neuroscience Institute (Singapore). He completed his neurosurgical training and was accepted as a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons in Edinburgh (FRCS). He was awarded a scholarship by the Ministry of Health (MOH) Health Manpower Development Programme (HMDP) in 2010 and went for a 1 year fellowship in Pediatric Neurosurgery at the renowned Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Canada in 2011. Dr Low’s subspecialty focus is in Pediatric Neurosurgery and Surgical Neuro-oncology (brain tumour surgery).

Introduction to Paediatric Brain Tumour

An introduction to brain tumours and its epidemiology in children, with an emphasis on the need for awareness.

KK Women's and Children's Hospital
Paediatric Surgery, Paediatric Surgical Oncology
Consultant
Research Fellow
MBBS, MRCS (Edin), M Med (Surg), FAMS (Paed Surgery)

Dr Amos Loh is a Consultant with the Department of Paediatric Surgery at KK Hospital, and sub-specializes in the area of childhood solid tumours. He is also the current Chairman of the Paediatric Oncology Group Singapore, and the VIVA-KKH Paediatric Brain and Solid Tumour Programme. His research focuses on the development of paediatric solid tumor models and preclinical research to devise novel treatment strategies. He is also interested in the discovery of biomarkers for prognostication and therapeutic stratification of paediatric solid tumours.

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“The challenge of childhood cancer: what makes it so hard to treat?”

How is it possible that a child can develop cancer? What are the chances for a child with cancer? Parents, patients, and doctors alike grapple with these difficult questions each time a child is diagnosed with cancer. Children are not just small adults, and in the same way, childhood cancers are not adult cancers transposed into younger people. In the child, organs and tissues develop under the strict control of signals that regulate normal growth. Cancerous tumours can develop when these controls go awry. Arising from a complex range of genetic errors, their aggressiveness – and response to treatment – then can also vary greatly.

KK Women's and Children's Hospital
Medicine: Dept of Paediatric Subspecialties, Haematology/Oncology Service
Senior Consultant
MBBS (Singapore), MRCPCH (UK)

Dr Soh Shui Yen is a Senior Consultant from KKH Paediatric Haematology/Oncology. She obtained her basic medical degree from the National University of Singapore (NUS), and subsequently completed her paediatric medicine and paediatric oncology training at KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital. Dr Soh also spent a year at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Canada, where she did a clinical fellowship on childhood solid tumours. Dr Soh’s interests are in brain and solid tumours in children and adolescents, as well as supportive care and late effects of cancer treatment. She is part of the steering committee for the VIVA-KKH Paediatric Brain and Solid Tumour Programme.

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Late Effects of Brain Tumour Treatment
Brain tumours are the second most common malignancy in childhood. Treatment of brain tumours often involve a combination of surgery, radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy. In addition to acute problems and side effects during the initial diagnosis and treatment, the patient may also develop late effects years later. The tumour, the type and intensity of treatment, and patient-related factors contribute to the risk of developing late effects. Examples of late effects are organ toxicities, second malignancies and neuropsychological difficulties. Survivors of brain tumours should continue medical follow-up to monitor for and manage any late effects.

KK Women's and Children's Hospital
Senior Psychologist

Judy Yap is a Senior Psychologist at KKH, with a Masters in Clinical and Health Psychology from Australia. She has been a Clinical Psychologist for 18 years, predominantly working with persons with neurological conditions/injury across the lifespan. In the last 4.5 years, she has been working with children and adolescents with brain tumours, strokes, epilepsy, traumatic brain injury, and brain infections. She assesses their thinking and learning skills, and their emotional and social coping, and works with the child/adolescent, parents, family members, teachers, school counselors, and medical team, to help the child/adolescent cope at home and in school.

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Coping with neuropsychological deficiencies in children

Brain tumours cause a range of neurological symptoms, and its impact on developmental and cognitive functioning (thinking and learning skills) depends on the size, location, rate of growth of the tumour, and the types of treatment. Difficulties in visual-spatial processing, attention, memory, planning/organization, and intellectual functioning (reasoning) are often experienced, resulting in learning and educational problems. Behavioural, emotional and social difficulties are also common and these can affect how the person copes at home and in school. These will be elaborated, some educational recommendations will be discussed, and the importance of monitoring and supporting

the person neuropsychological will be emphasized.

20-year-old brain-tumour survivor

Journey of Nashrul

"Five years ago, Mr Nashrul Rasman, 20, was running after a football when a sharp, mind-numbing headache suddenly hit. A wave of giddiness followed. Brushing it off as a lack of rest, he ignored the episode but the on-and-off headaches, which later intensified, continued plaguing him for the next three months. The active student also started experiencing blurred vision. As his headaches and vision worsened, so did his academic performance... But Mr Nashrul’s headaches, which a polyclinic doctor initially attributed to stress, turned out to be a cancerous brain tumour" (TODAY Online). Today, he has managed to overcome many of his difficulties and has numerous accomplishments. Learn more, and be inspired by Nashrul's story at PBTA 2017.