Koh Chieng Mun on Breast Cancer Diagnosis at 46: I Made My Will the Next Day

Local actress and comedian Koh Chieng Mun, 64 — best known for her beloved roles in classic English sitcoms Under One Roof  and Living With Lydia — recently opened up about her health struggles on The Irene Ang Show. 

Chieng Mun, a breast cancer survivor, revealed that she was first diagnosed with the illness in 2005. Thankfully, she has since gone into remission and has not experienced a recurrence.

Despite already having some awareness of breast cancer — she had even appeared in an advertisement promoting education on the disease — Chieng Mun said she was still “stunned” when she received her diagnosis.

She discovered a lump during a self-examination and was later diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer.

“The sky fell on me. It’s like a death sentence, right? Death is at your doorstep. I didn’t know what to do. I just went home, sat down for hours, and decided I wanted to put my affairs in order,” she recalled.

The very next day, she made her will.

“I was only 46. You don’t think of making a will at 46,” she said.

At the time, Chieng Mun was set to star in the Mandarin play Ten Brothers. Irene revealed she was asked to step in on short notice but shared that she declined as she wasn’t ready to take over the role.

Ultimately, the play’s director filled in, though Chieng Mun still managed to complete three shows before undergoing surgery 11 days after her diagnosis.

Following her operation, Chieng Mun sought help from organisations such as the Singapore Cancer Society, where she received emotional and mental support.

“They gave me a very methodical way of coping,” she said. “You’ve just gone through chemotherapy — you can’t expect too much of yourself.”

She also began participating in physical activities organised by cancer support groups, where she found comfort among other survivors.

“Mine was a mild case, and people with more severe diagnoses still continued with life. One of the main things I learnt was to maintain strength and hope,” she shared.

Her tumour was localised, and she was given two options: a mastectomy (the removal of the entire breast) or a lumpectomy (removal of only the tumour).

Diagnosed at Stage 2A, Chieng Mun said she wished she had detected it earlier — but considers herself “lucky” that she went to the doctor when she did.

“My oncologist told me, ‘If you hadn’t gone for your breast check so quickly, you might have died.’ They found out about my kidney cancer because of that scan — it showed an incidental tumour in my kidney. I’m very lucky,” she said.

She underwent an eight-hour surgery to remove tumours from both her breast and left kidney — a procedure that was successful.

Now, nearly 20 years on, Chieng Mun is cancer-free.

She continues to champion the importance of early detection and is a spokesperson for the Singapore Cancer Society, using her platform to encourage others to go for regular screenings.