Breast cancer is the primary reason why cancer cases among women have surpassed those among men in the city since 2020, with changes in lifestyle potentially playing a significant role.
In the third installment of a six-part Health Matters wellness series focusing on cancer in Hong Kong, Elizabeth Cheung examines the increase in breast cancer cases among women, the shifting reproductive and lifestyle patterns behind this trend, and its implications for screening and early detection.
Following a lengthy struggle with breast cancer, actress and former Miss Hong Kong Natalie Ng Man-yan passed away at the age of 51.
Ng was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2022 and experienced a recurrence in 2024, with the illness later spreading to her liver, bones, and brain.
"These antibiotics and steroids are severely damaging my spleen and stomach. I feel sick every day. I can't eat properly, and I don't sleep well at night," she wrote in her final social media post before her death in hospital on June 9.
Ng often shared her cancer battle on social media, previously describing persistent pain from tumours and the toll taken by targeted therapy.
Despite her condition, she kept a positive attitude, and her strength continues to inspire many even after her death.
In a tribute video shared by her friend Kearen Pang, Ng was shown in a wheelchair, encouraging herself as she attempted to stand.