National Cancer Centre Oncologist Wins Prestigious International Award For Work On Profiling Kidney Tumors.
Wednesday, 25 May 2005

Singapore, 25 May 2005 - National Cancer Centre Singapore (NCCS) oncologist, Dr Tan Min-Han, was recently conferred the prestigious Merit Award by the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) in Florida, USA. The award was in recognition of his research on the genetic determinants of survival in kidney cancer.

Awarded to top groundbreaking research presented among 4000 abstracts at the society's Annual Meeting 05, Dr Tan has the honour of being the 2nd Singaporean recipient to have won the Merit Award in its 20 year history. ASCO is the world's leading professional society of multidisciplinary medical professionals who treat people with cancer. ASCO's Annual Meeting is the premier scientific event for international oncology professionals who set the standard for patient care and lead the fight for more effective cancer treatments. The meeting is the largest cancer meeting and typically attracts more than 25,000 cancer specialists worldwide.

New Possibilities in Managing Cancer
Using gene chips to profile kidney tumors, Dr Tan and his team were able to predict the risk of relapse and death in patients with kidney cancer. This would potentially allow appropriate treatment such as immunotherapy or targeted therapies to be administered to such high-risk patients following initial surgery.

The findings from Dr Tan's research directly refine the evaluation of kidney cancer. Usually high-risk patients are identified for further treatment by watchful waiting following surgery. By studying the cancerous molecules, the team was able to define the genes that determine patient survival and response to therapy, thus effectively reducing the guesswork in determining prognosis and treatment.

Dr. Robert Motzer, a top genitourinary oncologist from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre in New York noted, "We are in a new era, where molecular studies of cancer are showing great promise in patient evaluation for new targeted therapies. Dr. Tan's exciting study will allow us to select patients who may need further treatment after surgery."

In 2003 Dr Tan and his team began a collaboration with the Van Andel Research Institute, USA, studying patients from eight American institutions. Kidney cancer is increasing in incidence worldwide for unknown reasons and as of 2005, is the 7th most common cancer in males in the United States.

Dr Tan and his team are currently in the process of opening a large prospective international trial for validation. "We hope this innovative technology will soon benefit kidney cancer patients worldwide," said Dr Tan.

Singapore Medicine on the World Map
As for charting Singapore on the world's medical map, Dr Tan has been invited to speak on kidney cancer at scientific and clinical conferences organized by the National Cancer Institute and the American Association for Cancer Research.

Research work conducted by NCCS has over the years offered patients with the latest cutting edge therapies. As a premier cancer centre, NCCS houses many clinician scientists who have clinched international and national awards. Their expertise is crucial in helping NCCS offer clinical excellence through a multi-disciplinary and holistic approach to cancer treatment.

Background on The American Society of Clinical Oncology
The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) is the world's top professional society of multidisciplinary medical professionals who treat people with cancer. ASCO has more than 20,000 members from the United States and abroad who set the standard for patient care worldwide and spearhead the fight for more effective cancer treatments as well as increased funding for clinical and translational research. This ultimately contributes to cures for the many different cancers that strike people every year.

More information on ASCO can be found on http://www.asco.org