Clin Assoc Prof Veronique Tan Kiak Mien

Clinical Associate Professor Veronique Tan is Deputy Chairman (Surgical Oncology) of the Division of Surgery and Surgical Oncology at the Singapore General Hospital and the National Cancer Centre Singapore. She is also Head, SingHealth Duke-NUS Breast Centre, and was the Founding Head of the Department of Breast Surgery at SGH and NCCS.

An oncoplastic breast surgeon, Dr. Veronique believes that the appearance of the breast after cancer resection is important, and that every patient should have a tailored, individualized surgical solution. She has journeyed with many patients and their families and enjoys working at a comprehensive cancer centre to advance and deliver precise, high quality and effective breast cancer treatment.

A/Prof. Veronique has mentored many local and international breast surgeons, imparting the science and art of breast cancer care. On the academic front, she has published more than 90 articles in peer reviewed journals and holds a Master of Science for her research in cancer biology. She also teaches undergraduate and postgraduate students from the Yong Loo Lin (NUS), Lee Kong Chian (NTU), and Duke-NUS medical schools in Singapore.

Her clinical research interests currently include the surgical management of the breast and axilla in the era of neoadjuvant systemic therapy for breast cancer and health services research.

A/Prof. Tan’s clinical practice includes benign breast conditions, the diagnosis and surgical treatment of symptomatic and screen-detected breast cancer, oncoplastic breast surgery and breast reconstruction.

• 2022   SingHealth-SMU Graduate Diploma in Healthcare Management and Leadership
  
• 2013   Subspecialty Fellowship – Oncoplastic Breast Surgery
• 2013   Master of Science (Research); National University of Singapore
• 2012   Fellow (FRCS); The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh
• 2008   Master of Medicine (Surgery); National University of Singapore
• 2007   Member (MRCS); The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh
  
• 2004   M.B,B.S; National University of Singapore
  

• Deputy Chairman (Surgical Oncology), Division of Surgery & Surgical Oncology, Singapore General Hospital & National Cancer Centre Singapore 
• Head, SingHealth Duke-NUS Breast Centre 
• Founding Head, Department of Breast Surgery, Singapore General Hospital & National Cancer Centre Singapore (2019 - 2025) 
• Member, SGH Medical Board (2025) 
• Clinical Associate Professor, Duke-NUS Medical School 
• Adjunct Assistant Professor, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, NUS 
• Clinical Faculty, SingHealth Residency Program (General Surgery) 
• Clinical Faculty, SingHealth Residency Program (Surgery-in-General)

• 2025 SingHealth GCEO Award – Outstanding Clinician 
• 2025 Service with a Heart Award, Singapore General Hospital 
• 2022 Singapore Health Quality Service Award (Superstar) 
• 2021 Singapore Health Quality Service Award (Covid Hero) 
• 2020 Singapore Health Quality Service Award (Star) 
• 2019 SingHealth Excellence Award – Distinguished Young Leader Award 
• 2019 Singapore Health Quality Service Award (Star) 
• 2018 Service with a Heart Award, Singapore General Hospital 
• 2018 Singapore Health Quality Service Award (Gold) 
• 2017 Singapore Health Quality Service Award (Silver) 
• 2016 Singapore Medical Journal Recognition Award for Reviewing with Distinction 
• 2015 SingHealth 10-year Long Service Award 
• 2013 SingHealth Health Manpower Development Plan (HMDP), Oncoplastic Breast Surgery 
• 2004 Dean’s List, Final Professional Examination M.B,B.S, National University of Singapore

• Spousal perceptions and their role in promoting breast cancer screening: a focus group study. Kamila KA, Liow JJK, Giam F, Lim ZL, Ho PJ, Sim TMY, Khng A, Chin CH, Iau PTC, Liu J, Kwek SC, Zhang ZP, Tan BKT, Tan VKM, Hartman M, McCrickerd K, Li J. BMJ Open. 2025 Mar 12;15(3):e086340. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2024-086340. 
• Using Machine Learning Models to Predict Pathologic Complete Response to Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy in Breast Cancer. Rahadian RE, Tan HQ, Ho BS, Kumaran A, Villanueva A, Sng J, Tan RSYC, Tan TJY, Tan VKM, Tan BKT, Lim GH, Cai Y, Nei WL, Wong FY, Affiliate SGH.  JCO Clin Cancer Inform. 2024 Nov;8:e2400071. doi: 10.1200/CCI.24.00071. Epub 2024 Nov 22.
• Asian Breast Cancer Cooperative Group. Survival outcomes of young-age female patients with early breast cancer: an international multicenter cohort study. Kim J, Kim J, Seo KH, Lee KH, Park YH, Lin CH, Lu YS, Ueno T, Yap YS, Wong FY, Tan VKM, Lim GH, Tan SM, Yeo W, Liu Q, Leung R, Naito Y, Li H, Lee HB, Han W, Im SA ESMO Open. 2024 Nov;9(11):103732. doi: 10.1016/j.esmoop.2024.103732. Epub 2024 Oct 15. 
• Long-Term Oncologic Outcomes of Omitting Axillary Surgery in Breast Cancer Patients with Chest Wall Recurrence after Mastectomy. Lim GH, Alcantara VS, Allen JC Jr, Saffari SE, Tan VKM, Tan KTB, Ngaserin S, Tan SM, Leong LCH, Wong FY. Cancers (Basel). 2024 Jul 29;16(15):2699. 
• Characterizing the Relationship between Expression Quantitative Trait Loci (eQTLs), DNA Methylation Quantitative Trait Loci (mQTLs), and Breast Cancer Risk Variants. Ho PJ, Khng A, Tan BK, Khor CC, Tan EY, Lim GH, Yuan JM, Tan SM, Chang X, Tan VKM, Sim X, Dorajoo R, Koh WP, Hartman M, Li J. Cancers (Basel). 2024 May 30;16(11):2072. 
• Outcomes in Nonmetastatic Hormone Receptor-Positive HER2-Negative Pure Mucinous Breast Cancer: A Multicenter Cohort Study. Tan RYC, Ong WS, Lee KH, Park S, Iqbal J, Park YH, Lee JE, Yu JH, Lin CH, Lu YS, Ono M, Ueno T, Naito Y, Onishi T, Lim GH, Tan SM, Lee HB, Koh J, Han W, Im SA, Tan VKM, Phyu N, Wong FY, Tan PH, Yap YS.  J Natl Compr Canc Netw. 2024 May 14;22(2D):e237121. 
• Feasibility of monitoring Global Breast Cancer Initiative Framework key performance indicators in 21 Asian National Cancer Centers Alliance member countries. Ong SK, Haruyama R, Yip CH, Ngan TT, Li J, Lai D, Zhang Y, Yi S, Shankar A, Suzanna E, Jung SY, Ho PJ, Yusuf A, Nessa A, Jung KW, Fernando E, Baral S, Bagherian M, Pradhan P, Jugder U, Vongdala C, Yusof SN, Thiri K, Sripan P, Cairo C, Matsuda T, Sangrajran S, Kiak-Mien Tan V, Mehrotra R, Anderson BO. EClinicalMedicine. 2024 Jan; 67:102365. 
• The practice patterns and perceptions of surgeons in Singapore regarding breast-conserving surgery. S Ngaserin, CB Yeo, FQH Leong, VKM Tan, GH Lim, SM Tan, BKT Tan. Ann Acad Med Singap. 2023 Nov 29; 52(11):639-642. 
• Adipose-enriched peri-tumoral stroma, in contrast to myofibroblast-enriched stroma, prognosticates poorer survival in breast cancers. Lau HSH, Tan VKM, Tan BKT, Sim Y, Quist J, Thike AA, Tan PH, Pervaiz S, Grigoriadis A, Sabapathy K. NPJ Breast Cancer. 2023 Oct 20;9(1):84.
• Exome sequencing identifies breast cancer susceptibility genes and defines the contribution of coding variants to breast cancer risk. Nat Genet. 2023 Sep;55(9):1435-1439. 
• Outcomes of Stage I and II Breast Cancer with Nodal Micrometastases Treated with Mastectomy without Axillary Therapy. Lim SZ, Kusumawidjaja G, Mohd Ishak HM, Tan BKT, Tan SY, Hamzah JL, Madhukumar P, Yong WS, Wong CY, Sim Y, Lim GH, Lim SH, Tan SM, Wong FY, Tan VKM. Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2021 Aug 3 
• Effects of housing value and medical subsidy on treatment and outcomes of breast cancer patients in Singapore: A retrospective cohort study. Wong FY, Wong RX, Zhou S, Ong WS, Pek PP, Yap YS, Tan BKT, Ngeow JYY, Tan VKM, Sim Y, Tan SM, Lim SH, Madhukumar P, Tan TJY, Loh KWJ, Ong MEH, Wong TH, Joint Breast Cancer Registry. The Lancet Regional Health – Western Pacific. 2020 Dec 8:6:100065