New VOICE

A year into being diagnosed with oral cancer and having a portion of her tongue removed, Singaporean actress Janice Koh tells Chandreyee Ray about the trauma of losing her superpower and the gift of finding joy again.

- Chandreyee Ray

Near the beginning of 2022, I discovered an ulcer on my tongue. One of those things you don’t think very much about—a little painful and irritating, that’s all. I saw a GP when it didn’t go away after a few weeks and he gave me ulcer medication. When that failed to work, I visited my dentist. I had my own theory as to why I had a recurring ulcer—one of my teeth must have gone out of place and it was now scratching my tongue, leading to an abrasion. It was on my second visit to the dentist, after he had already filed my tooth down, that he told me quite seriously to see an oral surgeon.

I got a biopsy done immediately. The diagnosis came a week later: tongue cancer. Tongue cancer isn’t a common cancer. I understand there is a specific demographic that tends to get it—men over 45 who smoke. I don’t fall into that category. But there’s no point in agonising over ‘why’ when it comes to cancer. Behind every case, there could be multiple factors, not just one cause.

My diagnosis filled me with regret. Why had I wasted months in between noticing the ulcer and finally getting it checked out? I had delayed proper medical attention because I was travelling, working and life had gotten in the way. It had never crossed my mind that it could be something serious.

When it comes to cancer, the approach to treatment is unique to each patient, depending on the stage of the disease. My ulcer appeared small, so the plan was to surgically remove it and radiate the surrounding areas in the event of any spread. Then, I’d be done.

After receiving the pathology report from my surgery, I sought a second opinion to verify that this treatment plan was the right one. My second set of doctors took no pleasure in telling me this, but they recommended a second surgery to make sure the margins were clear.