30 years ago cancer was once known to be an incurable disease because very little was known about cancer and therefore, no effective treatment had been developed for cancer during that time. Cancer is still the second leading cause of death worldwide, hinting that lots of efforts are still needed to tackle this critical public health issue. I believe that by having a better understanding aboug cancer, we will be able to develop more effective treatment for this disease. Therefore, I have strong interest towards cancer research (particularly for rare cancer) and I hope that the findings of my research will bring new hope for cancer patients!

During my undergraduate studies, there was a time which I suffered from continuous dizziness, tiredness & weight loss (and I found a lump at the back of my neck). The doctor suspected that I might have head & neck cancer and started to refer me for a series of medical check-ups. I was really distressed during that time and I still remembered that I even forget about the route to walk back to my hostel! As I am really interested in cancer, I undertook a cancer module in my final year studies (so I clearly know what is happening inside my body!). That was really a tough time for me... I cried over countless nights... I felt hopeless and I was scared to go through the treatment and I felt that I might not survive even I went through the treatment (all the negative thoughts just occupied my mind!). After two rounds of checking, thankfully, the lump was diagnosed to be a benign one. I am really blessed that this was a false alarm but this event strengthened my determination to pursue the cancer research path. I really hope that more cancers will become curable in the future.