BIKER SURGEON WITH A CAUSE

Lieutenant Colonel (LTC) (Dr) (NS) Philip Iau puts away his surgical coat to ride across 17 countries on a motorbike, all in the name of breast cancer research.

Cancer. The dreaded six-letter word that strikes fear if it pops up in the doctor's report.

Over the last few years, there has been a rapid rise in the numbers of such cases, especially breast cancer. And the increase comes mainly from one area - Asia.

"The likelihood of our mothers getting breast cancer was probably 1 in 25. The likelihood of our wives getting it is about 1 in 15. If the trend continues, the likelihood of our daughters getting breast cancer is 1 in 10," said LTC (Dr) (NS) Iau.

This was the reason that he and fellow breast cancer surgeon Associate Professor Mikael Hartman decided to ride about 25,000km on their motorbikes from Singapore to Sweden - all in an effort to raise funds and awareness for breast cancer in Asia.

Tough visions

Termed "The Long Ride", the 3.5-month journey will take place from 21 Mar to 1 Jul and span 17 countries, including Thailand, China and Kazakstan.

They are planning to visit five cancer centres along the way to conduct lectures, educate the public and listen to what locals have to say about their fears of breast cancer. All funds raised will go to a breast cancer research fund which is administered by the National University of Singapore.

"Asian women tend to have higher risk of developing breast cancers. Factors include having fewer children and having them later, a higher protein diet and higher body mass index," explained LTC (Dr) (NS) Iau, who is the Head and Senior Consultant of the Division of General Surgery (Breast Surgery) at the National University Hospital.

Both professors hope to raise public awareness of the importance of early detection through breast cancer screening. "These things haven't worked as well (compared to in the West) because many Asian women do not go for breast cancer screening and they don't like chemotherapy. They prefer to carry on without completing their treatment."

During "The Long Ride", the two men will be accompanied by a film crew who will record their journey and the people they meet. Their story will be shown as a two-part documentary and as Web-isodes on the Internet.

Family support

While he may have an arduous journey ahead, the jovial professor, who has two sons and a daughter, can count on his family's support. In fact, his family even has plans to meet up with the duo halfway through.

With practical preparations beginning two years ago, LTC (Dr) (NS) Iau involved his wife right from the start and updated her on changes regularly. This helped allay any fears of safety about the trip.

"I think she (my wife) sees the value of this slightly off-the-beaten track approach to helping people," explained the 49-year-old.

"What she has also found heartening is the way people have supported us - not just in donating money, but also in terms of providing expertise and equipment (by people who have done something like this before)."

Up for a challenge

The motorbike enthusiast, who is on the Reservist On Voluntary Extended Reserve Service (ROVER) scheme, was deployed as part of a seven-man surgical team in Afghanistan in 2010. Recalling his four-month stint, LTC (Dr) (NS) Iau noted that everyone was extremely motivated and knew the exact roles they had to play.

That sense of purpose is what the Senior Surgeon from 1st Combat Surgical Hospital tries to instil in his 20-year-old son, who is currently serving his NS in the Naval Diving Unit. "It may be tough and the training is hellish but you know you're surrounded by people who know what they're doing. They share a strong esprit de corp and you don t have to look over your shoulder to check if your buddy is watching your back."

As prepared as he is for the trip, LTC (Dr) (NS) Iau knows it is going to be a serious challenge, especially given the wide range of riding conditions they will face. With unpredictable terrain (which includes potholes and the possibility of landslides) and temperatures of up to 42 degrees, it will definitely be no joy ride.

However, he is determined to accomplish their mission. "The time (we have) is so short, we have to ride even when (we're tired or) don't feel like it. We have to cover the distance, so we're just going to grit our teeth and keep going."