Putting A Freeze On Breast Cancer

Cryoablation, a promising technique to treat early-stage tumors, boosts the arsenal of treatments against breast cancer.

- Dr Jendana

Presented with a choice between accepting a rare invitation to the world-renowned Berklee College of Music that would lead to a career as a performance pianist, and to pursue medicine, many might find themselves in a quandary. Not Dr Jendana Chanyaputhipong, whose love for music extended in particular to Rachmaninoff pieces, which she loved for their intensity and passion. “I have always wanted to be a doctor,” says Dr Jendana simply.

The stalwart surgeon and former clinical tutor at the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine at National University of Singapore and Duke-NUS Medical School no longer has much time to play the piano, but it is only because something else fires her spirit: her dedication to her work. Over the years, Dr Jendana has received several patient service awards and teaching awards. She says: “We are not rigid robots. We must be sensitive to the concerns and needs of individual patients, guide them and respect their choices, after they’ve been well-informed about their conditions and treatment options.” When she isn’t focused on her work as consultant breast surgeon at PanAsia Surgery Group and caring for patients, she focuses on raising her family. “They, too, need you.”

Dr Jendana, born to Taiwanese parents who immigrated to Thailand, credits her parents and the mentors she has had whose focus on excellence inspired her. She believes there is always room for discovery and change, and this has been particularly true in her speciality. In the field of breast oncology, providing increasingly effective care while minimising risks has been a galvanising force, since she entered the medical profession in 2004.