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Sasha Gonzales

Being diagnosed with cancer at a young age can stir up a range of emotions, from fear and anger to anxiety to sadness. May Yeung understands this well.
In 2019, at just 30 years old, the Hong Kong-based artist was diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer after a year-long struggle with headaches, abdominal pain, cold sweats and fever.
Yeung, who specialises in sculpture-making, was at the peak of her career; just three days before the diagnosis, she won a Hong Kong Top 10 Outstanding Young Artists Award at the Youth Arts Festival organised by the Hong Kong Playground Association.
She had surgery the following week and later underwent a lymph node biopsy and radiotherapy. Her diagnosis made her question her identity and ambitions.
“I felt uncertainty, particularly as I navigated interrupted milestones in my career, education, marriage and starting a family,” says the 36-year-old, who was born in Australia, grew up in Hong Kong, and then studied and worked in the United States before returning to Hong Kong in 2015.

Yeung considered her options for having children in the future and, following the advice of an oncology nurse at the Hong Kong Cancer Fund (HKCF), froze her eggs before starting radiotherapy.
During her treatment, Yeung met her now-husband, Vincent Woo. He accompanied her to all her chemotherapy sessions. They married and Yeung fell pregnant with their son, Archer Chagall Woo, who was born in 2023.
“Without the advice from the nurse, I wouldn’t be a mother today,” Yeung says.
The cancer treatments were physically tough on Yeung and temporarily affected the way she worked.
“After surgery, I struggled with shaky hands and couldn’t hold a pencil properly, but I was determined to keep drawing. I learned to use my left hand, discovering a new talent for drawing with both hands,” she says.

Radiotherapy left Yeung with side effects, such as a temporary loss of taste and dry, flaky skin. The side effects of her chemotherapy included hair loss and temporary memory loss.
She says injections to prompt her bone marrow to produce more white blood cells caused high fever and “sensations that felt like I had thousands of ants crawling through every vein and muscle”.
Back when Yeung was a student at the University of Chicago in the US, she had apprenticed under the artist Geof Oppenheimer. Years later, during this trying period, she turned to art to help her deal with the challenges and uncertainty she faced.
“I maintained my passion for art. I went back to basics by taking photos and jotting down ideas in a notebook. And I used my own creative practice as therapy and to express my emotions. I returned to childhood passions like origami folding, and explored new art forms, including art technology.”
Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among women worldwide. In 2022, around 2.3 million women were diagnosed, and another 670,000 died from the disease, according to the World Health Organization.

It is also the most common cancer among women in Hong Kong.
According to the Hong Kong Cancer Registry, instances of breast cancer have been increasing over the past decade, with the annual total number of new patients rising from 3,920 in 2015 to 5,208 in 2022.
Around one in 14 women in Hong Kong will develop breast cancer in their lifetime.
Early-stage localised cancer, like Yeung’s, is more likely to be curable. This is why the sooner the cancer is detected, the better the chance of treatment and the greater the likelihood of survival. This is where regular screenings and self-checks come in.
“The Department of Health recommends that women aged 35 or older consider annual breast cancer screening, especially those deemed to be high-risk,” says Hong Kong-based oncologist Dr Janice Tsang.
“Regular screening, through mammograms and breast ultrasounds, helps detect early-stage breast cancer in relatively asymptomatic patients, leading to early diagnosis and treatment and a better clinical outcome,” she adds, noting that these tests also help to reduce the potential healthcare burden on family members and the community.

Tsang says that when doing checks, you should look for lumps or masses, persistent nipple discharge (especially if it contains blood), nipple retraction, a change of shape or skin changes over the breast, or swollen lymph nodes in the armpit – and to see a doctor immediately if you notice any of these symptoms.
“Healthy women, and especially those at high risk of developing breast cancer, should do self-checks monthly,” adds Tsang, who is also an executive committee member and medical adviser to the HKCF, and a founding convenor of the Hong Kong Breast Oncology Group (HKBOG).
You can minimise your risk of developing most cancers by living a healthy lifestyle. This includes having a wholesome diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables, exercising regularly, and getting sufficient quality sleep.
Personalised medicine, precision medicine and other advanced therapies give patients today higher chances of surviving and thriving than they had five to 10 years ago, Tsang says.
Cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy, and some surgeries, may damage the reproductive organs. Young cancer patients who plan to have children in the future may decide to join HKCF’s Fertility Preservation Programme.
This service, developed for young adult cancer patients, was established in August 2023 and offers options including egg, embryo and ovarian tissue freezing for women, and sperm freezing for men.
HKCF provides full financial assistance to eligible patients. This includes two years of freezing storage.

Yeung’s cancer treatments were ultimately successful, and her cancer has been in remission for six years. She recovered from side effects such as lymphoedema – swelling caused by lymph fluid build-up – and can now travel abroad to take part in international art fairs.
This month, she will exhibit her artwork Silence in Full Bloom at the Louvre in Paris.
She has been taking medication daily since 2020, and has regular blood tests to monitor tumour markers.
Having survived cancer, Yeung has adopted a healthier mindset and lifestyle.
“I used to be a perfectionist, but I’ve embraced wabi-sabi, a traditional Japanese philosophy that values impermanence and incompleteness,” she says.
“I also spend more time in nature, where I draw inspiration for my art.”

Yeung credits HKCF’s counselling and support services and her family’s love and support for helping her through her health journey. She now dedicates her time and artistic talents to ensuring that other cancer patients do not feel alone.
Her experience with cancer has given her a renewed identity. From a patient and benefactor of HKCF’s aid, she is now an art instructor involved in its breast cancer awareness campaign.
“I give back by providing community art workshops to fellow patients, facilitating emotional expression, healing, empowerment and improving body-mind connection through art,” she says.
Besides encouraging women to get annual screenings and do regular breast self-checks, Yeung advises them to reach out to HKCF for guidance, whether they have breast cancer or not.
“It’s important to educate yourself on prevention, self-care and how to care for a loved one with cancer,” she says.
Are you at high risk of developing breast cancer?
Consider annual screening for breast cancer if you are 35 or older or fall into any of the high-risk groups, including women who have:

A strong family history of breast cancer and ovarian cancer


Known familial genetic mutations, such as the BRCA1/BRCA2 gene mutation


Experienced relatively early menstruation and late menopause compared to the general population

If you have a family history of breast and ovarian cancers, you should start screening at an earlier age, Tsang says – usually 10 years before the age of presentation in the youngest member of your family diagnosed with cancer, but normally not earlier than the age of 30.
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Yeung plays with her son at a Hong Kong Cancer Fund Support Centre. Photo: Elson Li

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Lifestyle

Health & Wellness

Health

May Yeung froze her eggs before undergoing radiotherapy, met her husband during successful treatment, and later gave birth to their son


May Yeung froze her eggs before undergoing radiotherapy, met her husband during successful treatment, and later gave birth to their son.


Hong Kong artist with breast cancer at 30 met husband during treatment, became mum in 2023

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}May Yeung froze her eggs before undergoing radiotherapy, met her husband during successful treatment, and later gave birth to their son

May Yeung froze her eggs before undergoing radiotherapy, met her husband during successful treatment, and later gave birth to their son