Welcome to Onco Life Centre Podcast.

A European regulatory committee has recommended a new treatment for metastatic pancreatic cancer, a once-daily oral pill for adults who have already tried one therapy. This episode explains what the trial results show, what the side effects are, and what happens next.

You'll learn:
- What the European committee recommended and who it would treat
- Why a final decision from the European Commission is still needed
- How patients on the pill lived longer than those on chemotherapy in a 500-patient trial
- How tumor shrinkage and time to worsening pain compared between the two groups
- The most common side effects, and the serious risks to know about
- Why pancreatic adenocarcinoma is often found late and is hard to treat
- Why experts say the pill is not a cure and how resistance can develop
- What patients and families can ask their oncology team right now

This is a regulatory recommendation, not a final approval, and access will vary by country. We hope this episode helps you understand the news and prepare better questions for your care team.

Blog Link: EU Panel Backs New Treatment for Advanced Pancreatic Cancer

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Thank you for listening to The Onco Life Podcast, your trusted source for expert cancer information and patient-centered education.

Author: Dr. CHRISTINA NG VAN TZE

📍 Visit us at oncolifecentre.com
📞 Call: +60 3 2242 3260
📧 Book a consultation or ask a question — we're here to support your journey.

Welcome to Onco Life Centre Podcast.

This episode looks at why gallbladder cancer symptoms so often get confused with a gallstone attack. We cover the gallstone connection, the real warning signs, and how doctors reach a diagnosis.

You'll learn:
- Why this cancer so often gets mistaken for a gallstone attack
- How gallstones and chronic inflammation connect to the disease over time
- Basic anatomy of the gallbladder, including where it sits and what it does
- The symptom list, including abdominal pain, nausea, jaundice, and weight loss
- Other risk factors beyond gallstones, including primary sclerosing cholangitis and gallbladder polyps
- How an ultrasound, a CT scan, and a biopsy confirm a diagnosis
- Why persistent pain after a gallstone diagnosis deserves a second look
- What symptoms can signal more advanced disease

Persistent abdominal symptoms deserve a proper check, especially when a gallstone diagnosis does not fully explain them. Most people with gallstones never develop this cancer, but doctors still investigate symptoms that don't add up.

Blog Link: Gallbladder Cancer: Symptoms Often Confused with Gallstones

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Thank you for listening to The Onco Life Podcast, your trusted source for expert cancer information and patient-centered education.

Author: Dr. CHRISTINA NG VAN TZE

📍 Visit us at oncolifecentre.com
📞 Call: +60 3 2242 3260
📧 Book a consultation or ask a question — we're here to support your journey.

Welcome to Onco Life Centre Podcast.

This episode looks at kidney cancer symptoms and why they're so often mistaken for something else. We walk through the real warning signs, the risk factors, and how doctors reach a diagnosis.

You'll learn:
- Why early signs so easily get blamed on a UTI, a strained back, or blood pressure trouble
- The full symptom list, including blood in urine, a back or side lump, flank pain, fatigue, and weight loss
- What blood in the urine specifically can mean, and why it deserves attention even if it comes and goes
- The main risk factors, including smoking, obesity, high blood pressure, and family history
- How a CT scan, blood tests, and sometimes a biopsy confirm a diagnosis
- Why renal cell carcinoma accounts for about 90 percent of cases
- What treatment options look like, from surgery to targeted therapy
- What symptoms can signal more advanced disease

Kidney cancer symptoms are easy to dismiss, but persistent ones deserve a proper check. Many tumors are actually found by chance, on a scan ordered for something else entirely.

Blog Link: Kidney Cancer Symptoms Often Mistaken for Something Else

Send us Fan Mail

Thank you for listening to The Onco Life Podcast, your trusted source for expert cancer information and patient-centered education.

Author: Dr. CHRISTINA NG VAN TZE

📍 Visit us at oncolifecentre.com
📞 Call: +60 3 2242 3260
📧 Book a consultation or ask a question — we're here to support your journey.

Welcome to Onco Life Centre Podcast.

This episode looks at blood in urine and what it can mean. We cover why it happens, when it points to bladder cancer, and when it usually does not.

You'll learn:
- What hematuria is, and the difference between visible and microscopic blood in urine
- The common non-cancer causes, including a urinary tract infection, kidney stones, and an enlarged prostate
- The other symptoms of bladder cancer beyond visible bleeding
- How a urine test helps doctors spot early warning signs
- How a CT urogram and a cystoscopy confirm or rule out a diagnosis
- Why treatment and outlook depend heavily on how early doctors catch the cancer
- What signs can point to bladder cancer getting worse
- Why color or amount alone cannot confirm whether blood in urine is serious

Blood in urine does not always mean cancer, but it always deserves a doctor's review. Testing with a urine sample and imaging together is what actually confirms or rules out the cause.

Blog Link: Bladder Cancer: What Blood in Urine Could Mean

Send us Fan Mail

Thank you for listening to The Onco Life Podcast, your trusted source for expert cancer information and patient-centered education.

Author: Dr. CHRISTINA NG VAN TZE

📍 Visit us at oncolifecentre.com
📞 Call: +60 3 2242 3260
📧 Book a consultation or ask a question — we're here to support your journey.

Welcome to Onco Life Centre Podcast.

This episode looks at how a Bradford skin clinic is using AI to review photos of suspicious skin lesions, and what the early results show. We also cover what independent research says about whether AI can work without a clinician checking its results.

You'll learn:
- How a healthcare assistant photographs a skin lesion and how the AI tool called DERM reviews the images within minutes
- What happens next for benign results and for suspicious results at the one-stop clinic
- Why a clinician still reviews every AI result at St Luke's Hospital
- What the trust reports so far: 32 patients per session instead of 24 and about 10% fewer unnecessary biopsies
- Why referral numbers are so high when only about 8% of Bradford's urgent referrals turn out to be cancer
- What NICE has recommended and how the rollout is spreading across NHS trusts
- What an independent Salford Royal study found about sensitivity and specificity
- Why a benign AI result is reassurance, not a guarantee

AI can free up specialist time, but it does not replace a clinician's judgment. If a mole or skin mark changes, see your GP.

Blog Link: NHS Clinic Uses AI to Speed Up Suspected Skin Cancer Checks

Send us Fan Mail

Thank you for listening to The Onco Life Podcast, your trusted source for expert cancer information and patient-centered education.

Author: Dr. CHRISTINA NG VAN TZE

📍 Visit us at oncolifecentre.com
📞 Call: +60 3 2242 3260
📧 Book a consultation or ask a question — we're here to support your journey.

Welcome to Onco Life Centre Podcast.

This episode looks at fluid buildup around the lungs, also known as pleural effusion. We cover why it happens, what symptoms to watch for, and how doctors diagnose and treat it.

You'll learn:
- What fluid buildup around the lungs is and where it collects
- The main causes, including heart failure, infection, lung cancer, blood clots, and kidney or liver disease
- The most common symptoms, including breathlessness and chest pain
- How a CT scan and a fluid sample confirm the diagnosis
- How chest tube drainage brings fast relief from breathlessness
- When a minimally invasive procedure may be recommended for fluid that keeps returning
- Whether this kind of fluid buildup can be prevented
- Why outlook depends mainly on the underlying cause, not the fluid itself

This can feel alarming, but the right diagnosis and treatment plan make a real difference. Managing the underlying condition well remains the best defense against a returning buildup.

Blog Link: Pleural Effusion: What Fluid Around Your Lungs Means

Send us Fan Mail

Thank you for listening to The Onco Life Podcast, your trusted source for expert cancer information and patient-centered education.

Author: Dr. CHRISTINA NG VAN TZE

📍 Visit us at oncolifecentre.com
📞 Call: +60 3 2242 3260
📧 Book a consultation or ask a question — we're here to support your journey.

Welcome to Onco Life Centre Podcast.

This episode looks at what it's really like to live with a stoma after colorectal surgery. We walk through the first weeks of recovery, daily pouch care, and how most patients settle into a steady routine.

You'll learn:
- What a stoma is and why colorectal surgery sometimes requires one
- The difference between a temporary and a permanent colostomy
- What to expect in the first weeks after surgery, including stoma nurse support
- How to care for your stoma and pouching system day to day
- How to protect the skin around the stoma
- When eating, physical activity, and heavy lifting typically return to normal
- What to know about returning to work and travel
- How body image and support groups help during the adjustment period

A stoma changes daily routines, but for most patients it does not shrink their world. Full healing and a steady routine usually arrive within two to three months.

Blog Link: Living With a Stoma After Colorectal Surgery: What to Expect

Send us Fan Mail

Thank you for listening to The Onco Life Podcast, your trusted source for expert cancer information and patient-centered education.

Author: Dr. CHRISTINA NG VAN TZE

📍 Visit us at oncolifecentre.com
📞 Call: +60 3 2242 3260
📧 Book a consultation or ask a question — we're here to support your journey.

Welcome to Onco Life Centre Podcast.

This episode looks at male breast cancer, a diagnosis many people don't expect because breast cancer is so often framed as a disease that only affects women. We walk through the warning signs, the main risk factors, and when a chest change is worth a doctor's visit.

You'll learn:
- Why men have breast tissue that can develop cancer, even though the disease is rare in men
- The most common early symptom: a painless lump behind the nipple
- Other warning signs, including nipple discharge, skin dimpling, and swelling under the arm
- How age, family history, and Klinefelter syndrome affect risk
- Why hormone therapy and certain liver conditions can also raise risk
- When to see a doctor about a new chest or nipple change
- What a clinical exam, imaging, and biopsy typically involve
- An overview of treatment options, including surgery and radiation

Male breast cancer is uncommon, but catching it early gives doctors more options. If something changes in your chest, it is worth a conversation with your doctor.

Blog Link: Male Breast Cancer: Symptoms, Risks and When to Get Checked

Send us Fan Mail

Thank you for listening to The Onco Life Podcast, your trusted source for expert cancer information and patient-centered education.

Author: Dr. CHRISTINA NG VAN TZE

📍 Visit us at oncolifecentre.com
📞 Call: +60 3 2242 3260
📧 Book a consultation or ask a question — we're here to support your journey.