‘80s Taiwanese singer Fang Wenlin shocked fans yesterday (Sep 26) when she revealed on Facebook that she was diagnosed with oesophageal cancer.
The 59-year-old said that it’s been two months since her surgery and she decided to share her story after confirming she’s in the clear.
“Today marks two months since my surgery. I had a follow-up endoscopy to check the wound, and since everything is fine, I’m sharing this now (I only need regular monitoring from now on). I hope this can serve as a reminder and warning to myself not to repeat the same mistakes,” she wrote.
After going three years without a health check-up, Wenlin finally had a full-body exam at the end of June this year.
Her family has a history of colorectal and stomach cancers, so she only focused on those areas and didn’t pay much to the other results.
Thankfully, Wenlin’s daughter noticed a warning in the report about suspected oesophageal cancer.
Comparing it with a report from three years ago, they found that her cancer marker level had risen above 7 (the normal range is 0-3, or 4-5 for smokers).
Two days later, Wenlin’s blood test results came back, and the doctor informed her that her cancer marker had risen to 9.8.
Wenlin was shocked and immediately scheduled a biopsy to confirm her condition. The two-day wait for the results was agonising.
When researching about the cancer, they realised that the disease predominantly affects men, and believed it was Wenlin’s love for Kaoliang (a type of Chinese distilled liquor) that caused it.
For years, Wenlin had a habit of drinking a small cup of Kaoliang with 58 per cent alcohol before bed. She also enjoyed drinking extremely hot soup, even to the point of burning her mouth.
“These habits have damaged my oesophagus, with Kaoliang likely being the main culprit,” said Wenlin.
Just a few sips of Kaoliang would help her sleep for seven to eight hours, and it had become her go-to remedy for relaxation, especially during menopause.
Despite her love for Kaoliang, she would always decline social drinking as it wasn’t bedtime yet, so she never imagined she would get oesophageal cancer.
During surgery, doctors found a 10 cm tumour, which took nearly five hours to remove. Fortunately, it was stage zero esophageal cancer, and she didn’t require chemotherapy.
After the surgery, Wenlin had difficulty swallowing and was in excruciating pain.
“I’ll never forget the helpless tears in my daughter’s eyes. It broke my heart,” she said.
At one point, Wenlin, who’s currently starring in a play in Taipei, considered quitting her role, fearing steroid therapy would give her a “moon face” and “buffalo hump”.
But she decided to press on: “Even if my body changes, the fact that I can still stand on stage and perform is what I’m most grateful for.”