Hong Kong actress Kristal Tin reveals lung cancer diagnosis

Former TVB actress Kristal Tin revealed on Instagram on Dec 3 that she has undergone successful surgery for lung cancer.

The 47-year-old, known for starring in series like Light Of Million Hopes (2003) and Every Move You Make (2010), posted two photos of herself in hospital. One was of her lying in a hospital bed, while another showed her holding hands with her husband, actor Chapman To.

Tin underwent surgery in Taiwan, where Hong Kong-born To, 52, is a naturalised citizen. The couple, who married in 2005 and decided not to have children, celebrated their 19th wedding anniversary in June.

Tin wrote: “There were shadows discovered in my lungs the last time I went through a health check-up. After several rounds of checks, it was confirmed to be early-stage adenocarcinoma and could be treated with surgery.”

Referring to her husband as Mr To, she added: “Mr To was very nervous after learning this news. Aside from reading up about it online, he consulted several doctors, including those in Hong Kong, and recommended Dr Chao from Chang Gung Hospital (in Taiwan).”

The Hong Kong star revealed that To took extremely good care of her and was the one asking questions about her treatment and the procedure she would receive.

She added that she remained so calm that the anaesthesiologist asked if it was her first time undergoing surgery, as her relatively slow heart rate of 66 beats per minute (bpm) seemed to demonstrate a lack of nervousness. A normal resting heart rate for an adult ranges from 60 to 100 bpm.

“At the time, I really wanted to ask her to go and measure Mr To’s heart rate,” she recalled.

Tin praised the affordable healthcare system in Taiwan and said she received attentive care from medical staff.

“Even with painkillers, it still hurts to breathe after lung surgery, so I needed some physical therapy to get my lungs back to their normal condition. Not only were the staff very clear in their explanations, but they were also so encouraging and caring when I was doing the physical therapy.”

Finally, she thanked To for sticking by her throughout the ordeal. “Thank you for arranging everything and taking good care of me. I want to tell you: ‘It’s great to have you.’”