New building to be ready by 2022 will be four times larger than existing centre

When ready by 2022, the new National Cancer Centre Singapore (NCCS) in Outram, four times larger than the current building, will be a one-stop centre for cancer patients and offer new technologies such as proton therapy.

Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony for the new centre on Friday (June 2), Health Minister Gan Kim Yong said the NCCS will work with other public healthcare institutions to research the full extent of the clinical benefits of proton therapy, a form of radiation therapy that uses protons instead of the x-rays used in standard radiation therapy. This means minimal damage to tissues and organs near tumours and reduced side effects related to treatment.

Mr Gan said his ministry will work with NCCS and others to monitor developments in the field closely. It will be assessing the effectiveness of proton therapy compared to existing tried-and-tested modes of treatment - in terms of delivering long-term outcomes, side effects and cost-effectiveness - to determine which cancers proton therapy should be used for.

The NCCS will also do more in cancer prevention and has set up a new division of Cancer Prevention and Population Health, said Mr Gan. The division will identify ways to reduce cancer morbidity and mortality by investigating cancer causes and risk factors, including the identification of genetic risk factors and ways to modify behaviour. It will conduct clinical and community-based intervention studies in targeted populations.

Cancer is the leading cause of death here and about 35 Singapore residents were diagnosed with it daily between 2011 and 2015. But with better care, more people are surviving cancer now than before. The age-standardised cancer death rate was reduced from 116 per 100,000 resident population in 2006, to 98 in 2015.

The Health Ministry is also stepping up efforts to encourage early screening. Earlier this year, it announced subsidies would be enhanced from September for the Health Promotion Board's Screen for Life programme. About 1.8 million Singaporeans will be invited through letters to undergo recommended screening for up to five conditions including diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, colorectal cancer and cervical cancer.

The fee for screening and first subsequent consultation (if needed) at participating Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS) clinics is S$5 for eligible Singaporeans, S$2 for CHAS cardholders, and free for elderly Singaporeans under the Pioneer Generation Package.

Source:
courtesy of TODAY

by NEO CHAI CHIN

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