NCCS hosts global oncology experts in Singapore

In late June 2026, the National Cancer Centre Singapore (NCCS) hosted key leaders of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and the ASCO Asia Pacific Regional Council. That same week, Singapore, strategically placed for ASCO to extend its reach across the region, hosted ASCO Breakthrough 2026. On the agenda was strengthening research opportunities and strategic collaborations across the Asia-Pacific to address regional oncology needs and explore new ways for ASCO to extend its expertise in the region. 

NCCS hosted an ASCO Asia Pacific Regional Council meeting and the International Clinical Research Scholars (ICRS) – Asia Pacific programme kick off in June 2026. (Credit: ASCO)

"Critical to ASCO's mission is the Asia-Pacific region, as it not only carries the highest cancer burden in the world, it is also emerging as a global leader in healthcare innovation and research. To make a meaningful impact, ASCO has invested in initiatives tailored to the region: from the Asia-Pacific Regional Council, which ensures ASCO's guidelines and educational tools address local needs, to a series of leadership development programmes. Region-targeted research grants further ensure that the diversity of APAC healthcare systems is reflected in how evidence is generated and applied," said Dr Herbert Loong, former member of the ASCO Asia Pacific Regional Council and International Affairs Committee.  

NCCS as a regional actor for world-class expertise

With more than 50,000 members worldwide, and about 30% based outside the United States, ASCO's expansion into the Asia-Pacific is driven by a desire to engage the region with a focus on medical education, clinical care delivery, palliative care, and research. The Asia-Pacific Regional Council was established to bring together oncology leaders from across the region who understand local needs and can develop projects and proposals aligned with ASCO's goals.

Professor Melvin Chua, Head and Senior Consultant, Department of Head and Neck and Thoracic, Division of Radiation Oncology, NCCS, who has served as Member (2019 – 2024) and subsequently Chair (2023 – 2024) on the ASCO Asia-Pacific Regional Council played a key role as a representative, expert, and facilitator in the council's regional activities.

"When ASCO started making inroads in Asia, NCCS partnered with them to identify areas of need and direct delivery of expertise to where it was needed most in the region. In the six years that ASCO has been here, we have made great strides in building capabilities and programmes, such as ASCO's Leadership Development Programme in Asia," said Prof Chua. For his long-term commitment to supporting ASCO’s mission in Asia, Prof Chua was honoured as a Fellow of ASCO (FASCO) at the 2025 ASCO Annual Meeting.

The Leadership Development Programme: Building world-class oncology leadership in Asia

The Leadership Development Programme (LDP) is a year-long programme for early- to mid-career oncology professionals designed to impart leadership and critical thinking skills needed to take on greater leadership responsibilities in oncology. Participants also undertake a project aimed at improving cancer care delivery at their healthcare institutions in their home countries. 

Clinical Assistant Professor Kevin Chua, Senior Consultant, Department of Head and Neck and Thoracic, Division of Radiation Oncology, NCCS, participated in the Asia run of the LDP in 2023-2024.

"My colleagues from India, the Philippines, Thailand and Australia and I worked on a project to address high-demand cancer clinics by implementing a patient self-reported symptom assessment tool - the Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale (ESAS). ESAS is a validated tool, available in different languages, that identifies patients' symptoms so that they can be addressed more effectively and appropriately. We found that this approach is low-cost, feasible and effective across different cultures and healthcare settings, and we are now looking to implement what we have learnt to improve care in our home countries,” said Clin Asst Prof Chua.

Making a difference on the ground

Another example of ASCO's impact is the International Cancer Corps (ICC) multi-year programme with Sarawak General Hospital in Malaysia. As the only public comprehensive cancer centre serving a large population across a wide geographic area, the hospital faced challenges when delivering cancer care because of limitations in transportation, connectivity and workforce capacity. 

By understanding the needs of local clinicians, ASCO designed programmes to strengthen multidisciplinary management of common cancers, integrate palliative care into cancer care and connect local oncologists with head and neck oncology, palliative care, gynaecological oncology, and neuro-oncology experts from around the world. As part of this collaboration, monthly multidisciplinary tumour boards (MDT) in neuro-oncology were conducted to help build sustainable local capability.

Clin Asst Prof Kevin Chua, an expert in neuro-oncology radiation oncology, served on the monthly tumour board meetings and visited the hospital with a contingent of NCCS radiation therapists and a physicist, who shared best practices.

NCCS' Clin Asst Prof Kevin Chua (centre, in blue jacket) during his visit to Sarawak General Hospital, as part of ASCO's International Cancer Corps programme to build oncology expertise in the region.

"ASCO's presence in Malaysia is still in its early stages, but the ICC project in Sarawak was truly a game changer for what an ASCO partnership can look like in this part of the world. The programme brought tangible improvements in clinical knowledge and skills, elevated the centre's profile globally, and demonstrated what can be achieved when the right support is in place. The key now is ensuring this momentum translates into sustainable engagement that oncologists can carry back into their work," said Dr Vaishnavi Jeyasingam, Malaysia's representative on the ASCO Regional Council.

Building clinical research capacity

Participants in the first ASCO International Clinical Research Scholars (ICRS) – Asia Pacific programme attended a two-day workshop at NCCS in June 2026. (Credit: ASCO)

In June 2026, NCCS also hosted the kick-off of the International Clinical Research Scholars (ICRS) – Asia Pacific programme, which is focused on building clinical research capacity across the region. Twenty participants attended the two-day workshop, which served as an introduction to the year-long ICRS programme which will train, mentor, and equip clinicians with the resources needed to conduct high-quality international clinical research.

Sustaining the link

"Being in Singapore, NCCS benefits from geographical centrality, relevant language capabilities, a strong clinical reputation, and established relationships with institutions across the region. This enables us to anchor and bridge the gap between ASCO and Asia-Pacific," said Clin Asst Prof Kevin Chua, who now serves as Singapore's representative on the ASCO Regional Council.

As ASCO, in partnership with NCCS, strengthens leadership development, clinical research training and in-country mentorship in the Asia-Pacific region, it is clear that quality cancer care need not be confined by geography.