In the third of a six-part Health Matters wellness series on cancer in Hong Kong, Elizabeth Cheung looks into the rise in breast cancer cases among women, the changing reproductive and lifestyle patterns behind the trend and what it means for screening and early detection.

After a prolonged battle with breast cancer, actress and former Miss Hong Kong Natalie Ng Man-yan died at the age of 51.

Ng was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2022 and suffered a relapse in 2024, with the disease later spreading to her liver, bones and brain.

“These antibiotics and steroids hurt my spleen and stomach badly. I feel nauseated every day. I cannot eat well, and I do not sleep well at night,” she said in her final social media post before she died in hospital on June 9.

Ng frequently shared her battle with cancer on social media, previously writing of constant pain from tumours and the toll of targeted therapy.

Despite her illness, she maintained a positive outlook, with her resilience continuing to inspire many after her death.

In a video shared by her friend Kearen Pang in tribute, Ng was seen in a wheelchair, encouraging herself as she tried to stand.