Shermin Shu, a 31-year-old and amateur muay thai fighter in Singapore, was diagnosed with Stage 2B breast cancer in December 2025 after discovering a hard cyst near her nipple, the straitstimes.com reported.
Discovering Stage 2B Breast Cancer After a Lump Dismissed as Hormones
In August 2025, comedian Jacky Ng noticed a lump in Shu’s right breast. Shu brushed off the concern, attributing it to hormones or a blood clot from her nearly daily training as she prepared for her professional muay thai debut in Phuket that November.
By December 2025, she noticed weight loss and altered breast density while examining her body in the mirror. A breast and endocrine surgeon at Ng Teng Fong General Hospital confirmed Stage 2B breast cancer. Shu had no family history of the disease.
Shu Manages Surgery and Fertility Treatments During Chemotherapy
Following her January diagnosis, Shu began a demanding medical schedule. In March, she underwent a nipple-sparing mastectomy with breast reconstruction using tissue removed from her lower abdomen.
To preserve her family planning goals with her fiance, she retrieved and froze eight eggs through in-vitro fertilisation procedures in May and June. She administered IVF injections in a restroom during breaks at her employer’s warehouse sale. Starting in mid-June, she began 16 sessions of weekly chemotherapy, with radiation therapy scheduled for later in 2026.
Maintaining Muay Thai Training and Adapting to Cancer Fatigue
Medical teams encouraged Shu to maintain physical fitness, which helped keep her veins visible for chemotherapy needles. Having spent a decade in muay thai, she relied on the discipline and resilience built from fight camps to cope with chemotherapy fatigue.
While she previously trained six days a week, her routine shifted to a 90-minute weekly training session and coaching kickboxing twice a week at KIX Combat Fitness starting in August. Her wedding, initially set for 2027, was postponed by a year to allow her hair to grow back.
Sharing the Cancer Journey Publicly and Adjusting Work Priorities
Shu documented her treatment on TikTok and Instagram under the handle @caramelprata, gathering 19,000 followers. She focused on positive content to avoid negative algorithms and joined a young breast cancer support group through the non-profit Breast Cancer Foundation.
Her employers allowed her to work remotely before she resigned to manage freelance projects. Reflecting on her timeline, Shu noted that seeking medical evaluation a few months earlier might have caught the cancer before it progressed.
Common Questions About Shermin Shu’s Cancer Journey
Why was Shermin Shu’s cancer diagnosis delayed?
Shu initially attributed a breast lump found in August 2025 to hormones or training-related blood clots, as she was actively training for a professional muay thai fight in Phuket. She discovered a hard cyst and weight loss in December 2025, leading to her Stage 2B diagnosis at Ng Teng Fong General Hospital.
What treatments has Shermin Shu received since her diagnosis?
Shu underwent a nipple-sparing mastectomy with abdominal tissue reconstruction in March, froze eight eggs through IVF across May and June, and started 16 weekly chemotherapy sessions in mid-June. Radiation therapy is scheduled for later in 2026.
How has muay thai impacted her cancer recovery?
Her medical team encouraged physical activity, which kept her veins visible for chemotherapy. Shu stated that the mental resilience and familiarity with fatigue from her years of muay thai training helped her cope with chemotherapy side effects and recover faster.