'I blacked out for awhile': SAF regular, 36, & father of 5, on hearing Stage 4 nose cancer diagnosis

In 2023, Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) regular, Yeo Fu Kiang 36, experienced a persistent blocked right ear after returning from a holiday with his family.

The father of five was eventually diagnosed with Stage 4 nasopharyngeal cancer.

Yeo held the heavy responsibility of being the main provider of his household.

“All I could think was Stage 4 means that that I’m out of options. Then I kept wondering how my wife and children were going to manage without me.”

Driven by family and duty, he underwent a year of rigorous cancer treatment, losing 30kg in the process.

Now cancer-free, his journey was documented in an article by the National Cancer Centre Singapore (NCCS).

From serving his country to fighting for his life

Yeo, who had signed on with the Singapore Army right after National Service, was a Master Technician Trainer.

He had worked outdoors with military tanks and trained others to do the same.

After returning from a holiday with his wife and children in Thailand, he realised his right ear felt blocked.

He initially brushed off the sensation as part of the flight's changes in cabin pressure, but feeling persisted.

When the sensation remained after a few months, his wife, who worked as a clinic assistant, urged him to go for a check-up.

He first visited a general practitioner who prescribed antibiotics but when that did not alleviate the sensation, he went to a polyclinic instead.

He was then referred to see an ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialist at a hospital.

'I blacked out'

After a physical examination, the ENT specialist found two lumps, one in Yeo's nose and another near his upper neck.

A biopsy confirmed that the tumour was malignant and that it was nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), more commonly known as nose cancer.

The MRI results showed that the cancer was advanced.

Yeo recalled that "when the doctor told me the results, I blacked out for a while".

"All I could think was Stage 4 means that that I’m out of options."

He kept wondering how his family would fare without him.

Yeo was referred to NCCS for treatment.

A PET-CT scan revealed that the cancer had not spread beyond his head.

Yeo's diagnosis was adjusted to Stage IVA NPC, an advanced stage where the cancer has spread to nearby structures like the skull, cranial nerves, or salivary glands, but has not yet metastasised to distant organs. 

Simply put, this meant that the cancer was advanced but potentially curable. 

Yeo breathed a sigh of relief as the new diagnosis gave him hope and meant he "still had a fighting chance".

Treatment and its toll

In June 2024, Yeo started treatment, undergoing nine sessions of chemotherapy followed by 35 sessions of proton therapy at NCCS, which caused him to lose 30kg.

He also struggled with fatigue and had to take a year of hospitalisation leave.

"When I became weak from treatment and was stuck at home on hospitalisation leave, I didn’t feel like myself anymore."

Yeo was nervous that his career would be affected as his prior role was physically demanding.

He was also worried that his wife would struggle caring for him and their five children.

However, when he went back to work in 2025, his bosses were able to make arrangements for him to work in an administrative role.

“I found it tough to adjust to office work at first, after being in the field my whole career. But I am so thankful that the army looked out for my wellbeing and gave me this new role, as it has allowed me to fully recover.”

Prevention of illness recurrence

Blood tests conducted after Yeo's treatment showed traces of Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) DNA in his blood. 

This put him at higher risk of a relapse.

Yeo was advised to join a new clinical trial which combines immunotherapy infusions with oral chemotherapy for 12 months to prevent recurrence of the cancer.

The NCCS trial is part of a larger research effort to improve NPC treatment. 

The trial has recruited 18 patients so far with an overall target of 69 patients.

Yeo is now cancer-free and urges others to pay attention to their bodies and symptoms, just as his wife did.

“If not for her, I may have just kept ignoring the symptoms. She pushed me to see a doctor and took care of the family when I was going through treatment. I’ll always be thankful to her.”

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Top photo from NCCS