More than half of Janice Koh's tongue removed in cancer fight

Local actress and former Nominated Member of Parliament Janice Koh has opened up on her battle with tongue cancer in an interview with Vogue Singapore, as she embraces her voice again in the wake of a new chapter and altered speech.

- Lim Ruey Yan

The 49-year-old mother of two shared on social media in November 2022 that she was diagnosed with tongue cancer in late July that year.

She said then that she had two operations followed by chemo radiation treatments to not only remove any visible cancer, but also reduce the chances of it coming back.

"Near the beginning of 2022, I discovered an ulcer on my tongue," she told the fashion magazine.

"One of those things you don't think very much about a little painful and irritating, that's all." 

Koh saw a general practitioner and then a dentist, who told her on her second visit to see an oral surgeon. She got a biopsy done immediately and was diagnosed with tongue cancer a week later.

"My diagnosis filled me with regret. Why had I wasted months in between noticing the ulcer and finally getting it checked out?" she said. "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."