When Mr Chiu Ku Ee went for his annual health screening 12 years ago, his doctor advised him to include a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test as part of his check-up.

He did not think much about it, even when the results showed that his reading was “elevated just above the threshold", the 69-year-old said.

But after being referred for a biopsy when his PSA level rose again, what he had once thought unimaginable came true.

Sometime in 2013, Mr Chiu was diagnosed with prostate cancer.

“I went totally blank and could not comprehend what the doctor was saying anymore,” he said.

“It was a rollercoaster ride after that, both psychologically and emotionally.”

His immediate concerns were how he would continue financially supporting his siblings and elderly mother, and which of the “too many” treatment options he should choose. 

After seeing three different doctors who gave him different treatment choices on the best way to manage his stage one diagnosis, Mr Chiu decided to choose active surveillance.

This meant that he would monitor his cancer closely instead of starting treatment.

He waited seven years before he started treatment.

In these seven years, Mr Chiu took it upon himself to gather as much information as he could about prostate cancer.

He spoke to fellow survivors, doctors and read up on information available online, before deciding to undergo stereotactic body radiation therapy in 2021.