Shermin Shu Faces Stage 2B Breast Cancer Diagnosis
Shermin Shu received a Stage 2B breast cancer diagnosis in December 2025 at age 30, following amateur muay thai training and a professional debut in Phuket in November, straitstimes.com reported. The marketing executive first noticed a lump in her right breast in August 2025, which she initially attributed to hormones or a blood clot from training. A breast and endocrine surgeon at Ng Teng Fong General Hospital confirmed the diagnosis after she observed a hard cyst near her nipple and weight loss. In June 2025, she got engaged to comedian Jacky Ng, and in August she won her first local amateur muay thai fight. She initially dismissed concerns raised by Ng that same month regarding the lump in her right breast. There is no family history of the disease. I was young and active.
As women, we’re familiar with breast cancer, but we are taught that it happens at a later stage of life,
she says. When calling her fiancé, who was performing in Australia, she broke down and said, I apologised to Jacky because we just got engaged.
Medical Treatments and IVF Procedures
Shu began a series of cancer treatments in March, starting with a nipple-sparing mastectomy and breast reconstruction using lower abdomen tissue. In May and June, she underwent in-vitro fertilisation to retrieve and freeze eight eggs, administering injections in a warehouse sale restroom while working for her employer, a wine importer. She subsequently started 16 weekly chemotherapy sessions in mid-June, with radiation therapy scheduled later in 2026. Her medical team encouraged her to maintain a fitness routine, which helped keep her veins visible for chemotherapy needles.
Muay thai training helps Shu cope with fatigue
Training in muay thai for a decade provided discipline and community that helped Shu cope with chemotherapy-induced fatigue. Instead of training six days a week, she reduced her schedule to one 90-minute training session per week and began coaching kickboxing twice a week at KIX Combat Fitness in August. Her wedding, originally scheduled for 2027, was postponed by a year to allow her hair to grow out following chemotherapy-induced hair loss.
Frequently Asked Questions About Shermin Shu’s Cancer Journey
What type of breast cancer does Shermin Shu have?
Shu was diagnosed with Stage 2B breast cancer by a specialist at Ng Teng Fong General Hospital in December 2025 after discovering a hard cyst near her nipple.
What treatments has she undergone so far?
Her medical timeline includes a nipple-sparing mastectomy with reconstruction in March, egg freezing via IVF in May and June, and 16 weekly chemotherapy sessions starting in mid-June.
How has her athletic routine changed during treatment?
She reduced her muay thai sessions from six days a week to one 90-minute workout weekly and began coaching kickboxing twice a week at KIX Combat Fitness in August to manage fatigue and maintain her fitness.