Journey to fight cancer of Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong

One morning during his 1992 South African business trip, Mr. Li Kuan Yew realized that his son, Li Hsien Long, had cancer.

That day, Mr. Ly Quang Dieu was Singapore Senior Minister and Mr. Ly Hien Long assumed the position of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Trade and Industry. " Long told me the biopsy results showed that he had lymphoma (lymphoma) . It was the first time we heard of the disease," Mr. Dieu told the Straits Times in 1993. "Both we are shocked " .

Three weeks before his father's trip to South Africa, Ly Hien Long was bleeding and discovered 3 small polyps in the rectum. Initially, doctors thought that the 3 polyps were benign and could be operated on later, and in the end it was malignant lymphoma.

Listen to the bad news, the family of Li's family did not get shocked. While his wife was uneasy about the situation of her son, Mr. Dieu with extensive experience advised Hien Long to calm down and do all the necessary tests. The trip was not over, the father could not leave for Singapore . "I am not a doctor. What can I do if I return to Singapore with my wife? Comfort it, will it make a difference? Perhaps just a little bit of psychology but in essence " , Mr. Dieu explained. In the distance, he only enlisted to call Singapore for his son late at night or early morning. "You are weighed down mentally so you can't eat well or enjoy the trip. But you have to finish the job. It's life" , he was honest.

Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

Hien Long updates the situation for parents every day. Luckily, cancer has not spread to other areas other than the rectum. On the advice of his younger sister, Ly Vinh Linh, 38, is studying epilepsy at Children's Hospital Toronto (Canada), Ly Hien Long comes to the US for medical examination.

Despite the health condition, the then deputy prime minister of Singapore remained calm. Just before the US visit, he led a delegation to Japan to promote investment. The last day in the land of the rising sun, Ly Hien Long invited reporters to have breakfast."He ate very well , " remembers Kwan Weng Kin, Tokyo resident correspondent of the Straits Times. "I wonder about the reason for my trip to the US. Nobody knows he went to the United States for treatment." In America, Ly Hien Long was consulted by Professor Saul Rosenburg and Professor Fernando Cabanillas, two leading experts on lymphoma.

In mid-November 1992, Ly Hien Long returned from the US. He lost weight, looked extremely emaciated and tired. On November 16, the then Prime Minister of Singapore, Wu Jawong, informed the entire population of the two deputy prime minister Li Hsien Loong and Ong Teng Cheong who had cancer. This is like a national disaster. Li Hsien Loong is not simply the Minister of Trade and Industry but plays a key role in the leadership. In particular, he is expected to be the successor to Prime Minister Ngo.

After the earthquake announcement, the government adjusted the support staff of Li Hsien Loong so that he could start six rounds of chemotherapy lasting 18 weeks. Every day, Mr. Long had to go to Singapore General Hospital to inject chemicals through tubes attached to his chest. Bathing became difficult because he had to keep the gauze from getting wet. Eating is no longer interesting when chemotherapy makes him lose taste. However, Mr. Long did not vomit like most chemotherapy patients.

The healing process caused the body's resistance to decrease, Mr. Long was forced to stay away from the crowd. In 18 weeks, he appeared in public less than 6 times and did not attend cabinet meetings.

Thanks to chemotherapy, Mr. Long gradually got better. Besides, recognizing willpower is extremely important, he keeps his mind relaxed and meditates. Mr. Lee Kuan Yew shared that his son had not collapsed because "if there is no power to overcome, everything will end".

In April 1993, Mr. Long's illness was thought to be relieved. Doctors judged that Lee Hsien Loong's chances of getting completely cancer free are 8/10, meaning he still faces 20% risk of relapse. On April 11, 1993, Prime Minister Ngo Tac Dong announced that Deputy Prime Minister Ly Hien Long had returned to work.

In January 2015, at the age of 63, Li Hsien Loong once again suffered from cancer. He had prostate cancer but was not related to previous lymph nodes. On February 15, 2015, Mr. Long was then Singapore Prime Minister undergoing surgery with the help of robots and is expected to recover completely. Data from Memorial Sloan Cancer Center shows that patients with similar medical records and treatments have 99% survivability within 15 years.

On August 21, Prime Minister Ly Hien Long fainted in the middle of a live broadcast. The prime minister's office said he was tired of standing too long, hot and dehydrated."His heart is stable and doesn't have a stroke," the prime minister's office announced.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong shared photos on his hospital bed before the 2015 surgery. (Photo: Straitstimes).

Many experts question whether Mr. Lee Hsien Loong's overworked working style is a cause of cancer. Dr. Peng Tiam from Singapore General Hospital said there is no scientific evidence that stress leads to cancer, while Professor Sun Yan from Beijing Cancer Institute (China) thinks otherwise. According to Professor Sun Yan, during the Chinese Cultural Revolution, many leaders and their wives had cancer. They all share the same common trait of acute stress . Professor Sun recommends that Mr. Long stop working and supplement 2 herbs to enhance immunity. Mr. Long frankly refused.

Mr. Li Hsien Loong himself does not believe that the stress associated with cancer until the day he received a letter from a lawyer from Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) also suffered from lymphoma. In the letter, the lawyer wrote that the doctor said he could work normally but made him even more tired. After deciding to quit, the health of the lawyer improved markedly.

Mr. Lee Kuan Yew commented that the 8-hour sleep routine has accidentally affected Ly Hien Long's stamina. Work pressure caused both father and son to lack rest time, while Mr. Long was easily tired if he could not sleep well. However, the first Prime Minister of Singapore still believes in his son's ability as he said when he was born: " If Singapore finds a man who has never had cancer, he will never be relapse and pass. superior to Long, that person should be chosen. If you can't find it, you must use the best you can. "