SINGAPORE – A new cancer research institute has been launched in Singapore to develop less invasive and more accurate screening tools to detect cancer at its earliest and most treatable stage.

Named the Research Institute for Cancer Prevention, Screening and Early Detection (Rise), it will be co-led by National Cancer Centre Singapore (NCCS) and Nanyang Technological University’s Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine.

Launched on Sept 28 at NCCS’ 25th anniversary charity dinner, Rise will bring together medical staff and scientists from public healthcare clusters, medical schools and primary care providers to evaluate emerging local and international cancer screening technologies.

A $2.5 million donation by creative arts entrepreneur Prajna Murdaya will kick-start the new institute’s public health research efforts.

One of the key projects Rise will work on is to evaluate and identify multi-cancer early detection tests that can be incorporated into national screening programmes.

At present, these blood or body fluid tests are not included in national screening guidelines due to limited evidence regarding their usefulness and cost-effectiveness.

NCCS is a national and regional tertiary cancer centre focused on advancing cancer care, research and education. It sees the majority of cancer cases in the public healthcare sector in Singapore.

The charity dinner held at The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore hotel saw over 700 guests in attendance, with President Tharman Shanmugaratnam as the guest of honour. He witnessed the presentation of four $1 million gifts to support the centre’s critical research programmes to improve patient outcomes.

These donations, along with the $2.5 million earmarked for Rise, were part of $20.5 million raised for NCCS’ cancer research and patient support programmes.

They included $6 million for the Cynthia Goh Palliative Care Institute to further advance care practices and improve access to care for those living with life-limiting illnesses, as well as to increase palliative care capacity and capabilities to meet future needs.

A $4.5 million donation will support a new cancer drug discovery facility at NCCS to harness local plant biodiversity and the latest artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning capabilities.

Professor Lim Soon Thye, chief executive of NCCS, said: “More Singaporeans are being diagnosed with cancer every day, so it is vital that we keep innovating to improve treatment outcomes and survival rates.

“Our goal is to harness the power of data science and AI, so that we can develop more targeted and personalised cancer treatments for our patients.”

He added: “We envision a future where NCCS is an advanced cancer centre that does more than treat the disease. Importantly, we want to be a sanctuary centred on compassion, where patients don’t feel like just another case, but are supported by dedicated care teams.”

At the dinner, Mr Tharman also unveiled a specially cultivated hybrid orchid named Papilionanda National Cancer Centre Singapore, which represents hope, strength and healing for the cancer community.