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DR ESTHER CHUWA |
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Place of Practice |
SOLIS BREAST CARE & SURGERY CENTRE |
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Practice Address |
The Paragon, 290 Orchard Road, Lobby C, #09-30/31, Singapore 238859 Tel: (65) 6994 5499 |
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Practice Website |
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Specialty |
Consultant General Surgery
Specialty Interest: Breast Surgery |
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Qualifications |
MBBS(S’pore), MRCS Edin, MMed(Surg),FRCS Ed(Gen Surg),FAMS |
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About Dr Chuwa
Dr Esther Chuwa graduated from the National University of Singapore in 1999 and received her general surgical training at the Singapore General Hospital and National Cancer Centre. She was among the first in her cohort to complete her Advanced Surgical Training and was named top candidate by the Board of Examiners of the Royal College of Surgeons Edinburgh in her qualifying examinations.
In pursuit of her passion for breast surgery, Dr Chuwa chose to devote her practice solely to the management and research of breast diseases by joining KK Breast Unit in 2006- the only stand-alone breast surgical unit in Singapore. Recognizing the importance to balance oncologic control and cosmetic outcomes in the surgical treatment of breast cancers, Dr Chuwa embarked on an oncoplastic breast fellowship at the renowned Nottingham Breast Institute, United Kingdom, under the Human Manpower Development Plan Award in 2009.
She has undertaken visiting stints and observerships at the breast and reconstruction units at various renowned institutions including the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre in New York City, USA, the Lyon Berard Cancer Center in Lyon, France and Western General Hospital in Edinburgh, United Kingdom. Dr Chuwa ranks among the few local breast surgeons to have received formal training in oncoplastic breast surgery.
She now offers this as one of the surgical options of breast cancer treatment. Her other specializations include minimally invasive breast biopsy techniques and localization and excision of non-palpable breast tumours.
Dr Chuwa has published widely in several local, regional and international journals. She has authored a book chapter reviewing the outcomes of oncoplastic breast conserving surgery. She is involved in several multi-institutional research collaborations under the A*star and National Medical Council Research Grants. Dr Chuwa is also a member of the European Society of Breast Cancer Specialists, International Society of Surgery/ Breast Surgery International as well as, the American College of Breast Surgeons. , International Society of Surgery and Breast Surgery International. She serves as journal reviewer for international journals including Clinical Breast Cancer and an ad-hoc reviewer for Journal of Gynaecology and Minimally Invasive Therapy.
Dr Chuwa has been actively involved in promoting breast cancer awareness through various public outreach initiatives since 2006. This culminated in her conceptualization and setting up of a holistic breast cancer support programme, Alpine Blossoms, at KK Breast Department, which she chaired from 2008 till 2012. She is also a member of the Women’s Health Advisory committee; pivotal in making recommendations to address women’s key health issues in Singapore. In recognition of her devotion towards patient care, Dr Chuwa has received multiple service awards including the EXSA Singapore Excellent Service Awards.
Specialized Services
Consultation
• Breast screening including clinical breast examination for healthy women.
• Counselling regarding relevant surveillance and treatment of women with significant family history of breast cancers or who are known BRCA mutation carriers.
• Evaluation and work up of women with abnormal mammograms, ultrasound and or biopsy results.
• Evaluation and work up of breast symptoms including breast lump/s, nipple discharge, pain and breast feeding related infections.
Clinic Procedures
• Fine needle aspiration of breast cysts and abscesses
• Ultrasound guided diagnostic core biopsy of breast lesions and lymph nodes
• Ultrasound guided minimally-invasive therapeutic vacuum-assisted excisions of breast lumps and drainage of breast abscesses
• Drainage of superficial breast abscessesExcisions of nipple/ areolar papilloma
Surgery
• Excision of breast lump.
• Inframammary approach in excisions of large breast tumours
• Hookwire or radioisotope guided localization(ROLL) and excision of non-palpable breast lesions and microcalcifications
• Microdochectomy or total duct excision for the diagnosis and treatment of abnormal nipple discharge
• Drainage of multiloculated or extensive breast abscesses
• Nipple eversion for inverted nipples
• Surgical treatment for accessory breasts
• Surgical treatment for gynaecomastia
• Oncoplastic techniques in excisions of breast cancers and large no-cancerous lumps
• Mastectomy for locally advanced, multicentric or inflammatory breast cancers
• Skin sparing or Nipple sparing mastectomy with immediate reconstruction
• Sentinel lymph node biopsy for early breast cancer
• Oncologic axillary clearance for cancer-involved axillary lymph nodes
Professional Associations & Affiliations
• Member, Singapore Medical Association
• Member, European Society of Breast Cancer Specialists
• Member, American Society of Breast Surgeons
• Member of the Women’s Health Advisory committee
• Member, International Society of Surgery
• Member, Breast Surgery, International
• Chairperson, KK Alpine Blossoms Breast cancer support group
Publications/Research
• Prognostic significance of peritoneal lavage cytology in gastric cancer in Singapore. Asia Pacific Digestive Week Sep 2003, Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology 2003; 18S, Abs No. 60
• Prognostic significance of peritoneal lavage cytology in gastric cancer in Singapore. ASCO Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium Jan 2004, Abs No 79
• Surgical Options for Rectal Cancers-a review of a single institution’s experience.19th World Congress of International Society of Digestive Surgery Dec 2004, Yokohama, Japan
• Early detection of breast cancer through population-based mammographic screening in Singapore: a comparison study between screen-detected and symptomatic cancers. Combined Asian Breast Diseases Association and BreastScreen Singapore Breast Cancer Conference Nov 2007, Singapore
• Atypical ductal hyperplasia (ADH) and ductal carcinoma In-situ (DCIS) within benign breast lesions: a rare occurrence. Miami Breast Cancer Conference Feb 2008, Orlando.
• Outcomes of stereotactic core biopsy of BIRADS category 4 microcalcifications. European Breast Cancer Conference April 2008, Berlin. European Journal of Cancer Supplements Vol 6, No. 7, page 64, April 2008.
• Cosmetic and psychosocial outcomes of therapeutic mammaplasty. Oral presentation at International meeting of oncoplastic and reconstructive breast surgery 2009, Nottingham
• Early experience with LICAP flap in oncoplastic breast surgery. International meeting of oncoplastic and reconstructive breast surgery 2009, Nottingham
• Presentation and outcomes of breast cancer in Asian women under 40: Misdiagnosis or misfortune? 8th European Breast Cancer Conference 2012, Vienna
• Unusual recurrence after chemoirradiation and surgery for squamous cell carcinoma of the tomgue. EWL Chuwa, Tan YM, DTH Lim, KC Soo. Asian Journal of Surgery Jan 2002; 25: 62-5
• Unusual sites of metastases from squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue following good loco-regional control- a case report. EWL Chuwa, Tan YM, DTH Lim. SGH Proceedings 2001; 10:198-201
• An unusual presentation of abdominal Castleman’s Disease- report of a case. EWL Chuwa, Chuah KL, Ong HS. Asian Journal of Surgery July 2006; 29:3
• Gastrointestinal: mesenteric cystic lymphangioma. H Chim, E Chuwa, C Chao, P Chow. J Gastroenterol Hepatol 2006; 21(5): 916.
• Prognostic significance of peritoneal lavage cytologyin gastric cancer in Singapore. EWL Chuwa, LW Khin, WH Chan, HS Ong, WK Wong. Gastric Cancer 2005;8(4): 228-37.
• Omentum as a cover for abdominal wall loss. EWL Chuwa, Seow-Choen F. Techniques of Coloproctology2006; 10(2): 139-42
• Outcomes for abdominoperineal resection are not worse than those of anterior resections. EWL Chuwa, Seow-Choen F. Diseases of the Colon and Rectum 2006; 49(1): 41-9
• Dietary Fibre. EWL Chuwa, Seow-Choen F. British Journal of Surgery 2006;93(1):3-4
• Treatment for Ductal Carcinoma in-situ in an Asian population- outcome and prognostic factors. EWL Chuwa, VHS Tan, PH Tan, WS Yong, CY Wong. ANZ J Surg 2008; 78:42-8
• Early detection of breast cancer through population-based mammographic screening in Asian women: a comparison study between screen-detected and symptomatic breast cancers. EWL Chuwa, AWY Yeo, HN Koong, WS Yong, CY Wong, PH Tan, JST Ho, JSL Wong, GH Ho. The Breast Journal 2009; 15:133-139
• MRSA breast abscesses in postpartum women. EWL Chuwa, CMY Wong, Tan YY, Hong GS. Asian journal of Surgery 2009; 32:55-58.
• Young Breast cancers in Singapore: Clinical, radiological and pathological factors. SY Teo, EWL Chuwa, CL Ong, GS Hong. Ann Acad Med Sing 2012. Manuscript submitted.
Book Chapters:
• Touchpoint @ KK supported by Astra Zeneca. An educational informational booklet for patients newly diagnosed with breast cancer. Published for distribution to breast cancer support group members. Jan 2009
• Classification and review of oncoplastic techniques in breast conserving surgery- the Nottingham experience. Book chapter: Breast Conservation Surgery: An Oncoplastic Approach. Churchill Livingstone. In press.