Speech by Mr Gan Kim Yong, Minister for Health, at the European Society of Medical (ESMO) Oncology Asia Congress 2017

Professor Fortunato Ciardiello, President, European Society for Medical Oncology
Professor Josep Tabernero, President-Elect, European Society for Medical Oncology  
Dr Keith H. McGregor, Chief Executive Officer, European Society for Medical Oncology  
Dr Ravindran Kanesvaran, President, Singapore Society of Oncology

Distinguished guests

Ladies and Gentlemen

              Good morning, and a very warm welcome to the European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO) Asia Congress. It is our honour to once again, host the congress this year, and I am very pleased to join you this morning at the opening ceremony.

Cancer Prevalence in the Region and Locally

2            Cancer remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide despite great advances in cancer diagnosis, treatment, and management. In 2015, there were an estimated 17.5 million cancer cases and 8.7 million cancer-related deaths worldwide. Asia, which accounts for 60% of the world population, bears approximately half the global burden of cancer, and the incidence of cancer in Asia is projected to increase significantly in the next decade due to a combination of ageing populations, lifestyle choices and socioeconomic trends.

3            In Singapore, cancer remains the principal cause of mortality, accounting for close to 30% of all deaths in 2016, and imposing significant societal and economic impact on the patients and their families, as well as the healthcare system. As such, it is important that we continue to promote research, partnerships and various public health initiatives to tackle this challenge.

Importance of Prevention and Early Detection

4            Prevention and early detection remain critical in mitigating the impact of cancer. Healthy lifestyle choices and appropriate cancer screening play an important role. Poor dietary habits and a sedentary lifestyle are factors that can increase an individual’s risk of cancer but are also areas we can modify and change the outcome. As outlined in the Healthy Living Master Plan, our vision is to bring healthy living to every home, workplace and school, making healthy living the pervasive way of life.

5            Early detection of cancer allows for timely treatment and a better prognosis. To encourage cancer screening and follow up, the Health Promotion Board’s Screen for Life programme was enhanced this year to allow eligible Singaporeans to undergo cervical and colorectal cancer screening at a small fixed fee of no more than $5. This would cover the individual’s cost for the screening test as well as the first post-screening consultation with a family doctor, particularly those with abnormal screening results. We hope that our efforts will facilitate early cancer detection and maximise treatment success.

Research and Development for the Enhancement of Disease Management

6            Beyond primary prevention and early detection, we continue to invest in research and development to further our knowledge and understanding of this complex disease. Last year, it was announced that $19 billion will be committed to the Research, Innovation and Enterprise 2020 (RIE2020) plan over the next five years. Cancer has been identified as one of the five therapeutic areas of focus under the health and biomedical sciences domain.

7            The National Medical Research Council (NMRC) under the Ministry of Health (MOH) has supported various research projects such as the National Lymphoma Translational Research Programme. The programme had revealed the first genetic variant that confers risk of Natural Killer/T-Cell Lymphoma (NKTCL) and shed light on the disease process. I understand that the programme has since led to breakthroughs which will potentially improve treatment of NKTCL.

8            The research team has also established several industrial collaborations to take their developments to the clinical trial phase. 

Importance of Collaborations in Driving Cancer Research

9            Locally, the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) plays a significant role in driving research and development. This year, A*STAR announced the discovery of a new cancer drug candidate, ETC-206, which targets blood cancers. This was developed through a collaboration between A*STAR’s Experimental Therapeutics Centre (ETC), the Drug Discovery and Development (D3) unit and Duke-National University of Singapore Medical School (Duke-NUS). The drug has advanced into clinical trials, and Phase 2 of the study is currently ongoing. This collaboration provided an integrated approach to translational research and bridged the gap between basic research and clinical development.

10          Apart from A*STAR, Singapore-based biotechnology firm, Tessa Therapeutics, has also surged ahead in the field of T-cell immunotherapy by conducting the world’s first US FDA Phase Three cancer T-cell therapy involving a number of hospitals and treatment centres around the world. They have also tied up with the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy in California to jointly advance research in the exciting and ground breaking field of cancer immunotherapy. 

11          Over at the National University of Singapore (NUS), the Cancer Science Institute of Singapore (CSI) brings together more than 200 scientists and researchers to engage in cancer research, with the aim of developing better cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment methods. Its RNA Biology Center comprises a team of international investigators with the long-term goal of developing RNA-based biomarkers and therapies.

Artificial Intelligence as the New Allies for Combating Cancer

12          Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a new ally in our battle against cancer. There is potential to improve healthcare delivery with new technology, artificial intelligence and data science. To this end, the National Research Foundation had earlier announced that it will be investing up to $150 million into a new national programme, AI.SG. AI.SG is a government-wide partnership that aims to bring together all Singapore-based research institutions in a bid to catalyse, synergise and boost Singapore’s AI capabilities.

13          In addition to AI.SG, the Singapore Data Science Consortium (SDSC) was set up earlier this year by the National Research Foundation, in collaboration with National University of Singapore (NUS), Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore Management University (SMU) and A*STAR. By deepening our existing strengths in data science and analytics, the consortium will be a key enabler in transforming the way we identify cancer risks and accelerate cancer drug development. 

Delivering Cost-Effective Care and Shifting from “Quality to Value”

14           While we forge ahead with advancements in medicine and healthcare technology, we must also be mindful of the need to deliver cost-effective and patient-centred care. It is important to keep abreast of developments in medicine and to continually push the boundaries so that new healthcare solutions that are clinically effective and cost-effective can be introduced.

15            Newly emerging treatments such as precision medicine must be weighed carefully against affordability considerations to ensure that holistic and appropriate healthcare is provided to our patients. 

Conclusion

16           To conclude, we must continue to advance our knowledge and expertise in cancer management to bring about better health outcomes for our patients. Research has been and will continue to be key to this, and I hope, over time, to see more research outcomes that will benefit our people. I wish all of you a fruitful and inspiring congress ahead.

17           Thank you.