The Sam Willows' Sandra Riley Tang reveals she had ovarian cysts

The Sam Willow's Sandra Riley Tang just revealed on Instagram that she had to undergo surgery to remove two dermoid cysts in her ovaries.

According to WebMD, ovarian dermoid cysts are sac-like growths that can develop in a woman's ovaries. They can be cancerous, or rupture, or cause an infection.

In a series of posts on her Insta stories earlier today, Sandra detailed how she found out about the cysts and what happened after her surgery.

She had gone for a full body check-up earlier as part of her insurance, and it was found out that she had two cysts in her ovaries measuring about 8.8cm and 5.3cm.

She said that she wouldn't have known about the cysts otherwise as she had felt normal and there wasn't anything unusual about her period cramps.

After some scans and blood tests, it was recommended that she remove her cysts via surgery.

Sandra said that the surgery was physically bearable, but the whole ordeal had been an emotional roller coaster for her and she remembers feeling "really helpless and uncomfortable".

She ended her series of posts by saying that cysts in the uterus and lumps in the breast are actually very common for women, and urged her followers who are above 21 to get themselves checked and to make sure that they're covered by medical insurance.

"You always think it won't happen to you until it does," she said.

And she's right. We don't talk about this enough, but uterus-related issues and breast lumps are not uncommon for women here.

One such issue is endometriosis - a condition where uterus lining grows outside of the uterus - and around one in ten women may have it.

In Singapore, breast cancer is also the most common form of cancer that affects women, with one in fourteen women developing breast cancer before the age of 75.

As with any health-related issue, it's best if you detect it early. So this is a reminder that we should all go for health checks regularly - including pap smears and mammograms.

This article was first published in CLEO SIngapore