Skip Ribbon Commands
Skip to main content
Menu
Assoc Prof Yap Yoon Sim

Assoc Prof Yap Yoon Sim

MBBS, FRACP, PhD

Senior Consultant

National Cancer Centre Singapore

Specialty: Medical Oncology

Sub-specialties: Breast

Conditions Treated by this Doctor:
Breast Cancer.

Clinical Appointments

  • Senior Consultant Division of Medical Oncology National Cancer Centre SingaporeNational Cancer Centre Singapore
  • Visiting Consultant KK Breast Centre KK Women's and Children's HospitalKK Women's and Children's Hospital

Academic Appointments

  • Associate Professor

Profile

Dr. Yap is Senior Consultant in the Division of Medical Oncology at the National Cancer Centre Sin-gapore, and Associate Professor at Duke-National University Singapore. 

A recipient of the Singapore National Medical Research Council (NMRC) Clinician Scientist Award (CSA), her research focuses primarily on clinical and translational research in breast cancer, including liquid biopsies and predictive biomarkers, development of novel therapeutic strategies, and epidemiologic studies on treatment outcomes in breast cancer. She is the principal investigator of several phase 1 to 3 clinical trials for various compounds, including CDK inhibitors, PI3K and mTOR inhibitors, selective estrogen receptor degraders, HER2-targeting agents and immunotherapy, in addition to investigator-initiated studies. 

Education

  • PhD, University of Adelaide, Australia, in Medicine
  • FRACP, Royal Australasian College of Physicians, in Medical Oncology
  • MBBS, University of Adelaide, Australia, in Medicine and Surgery

Professional Appointments and Committee Memberships

  • 2010-now      Senior Consultant in Medical Oncology, NCC Singapore
  • 2007-now      Clinical Senior Lecturer, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore
  • 2014-now      Journal of Breast Cancer Editorial Board
  • 2018-now      International Steering Committee, Japanese Society of Medical Oncology (JSMO)
  • 2019-now      Cancer, Biology and Medicine Editorial Board
  • 2019-now      Faculty, European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO), Breast Cancer Track
  • 2020-now      Associate Professor, Duke-NUS Medical School
  • 2021-now      Breast Cancer Research and Treatment Editorial Board
  • 2022-now      Therapeutic Advances in Medical Oncology Editorial Board
  • Steering committee member in breast cancer clinical trials

Awards

  • Elder Prize, 1992 for overall academic performance (University of Adelaide)
  • Golden Key National Honour Society, 1998 for overall scholastic performance (University of Adelaide)
  • Best Trainee Oral Presentation award at Medical Oncology Group of Australia Conference, 2004
  • Medical Oncology Group of Australia/Baxter Trainee Educational Achievement Award, 2005
  • National Medical Research Council (NMRC) Clinician Scientist Award (CSA), 2019

Research Interests

  • Clinical research in breast cancer, including early phase and phase III trials using novel therapeutic regimens.
  • Translational research in breast cancer, including prognostic, predictive biomarkers
  • Observational studies in breast cancer

Publications

1.            HER2 expression, copy number variation and survival outcomes in HER2-low nonmetastatic breast cancer: an international multicentre cohort study and TCGA-METABRIC Analysis. Tan RS, Ong WS, Lee KH, Lim AH, Park S, Park YH, Lin CH, Lu YS, Ono M, Ueno T, Naito Y, Onishi T, Lim GH, Tan SM, Lee HB, Ryu HS, Han W, Tan VKM, Wong FY, Im SA, Tan PH, Chan JY, Yap YS. BMC Medicine 2022; 20: 105

2.            Overall Survival with Ribociclib plus Letrozole in Advanced Breast Cancer. Hortobagyi GN, Stemmer SM, Burris HA, Yap YS, Sonke GS, Hart L, Campone M, Petrakova K, Winer EP, Janni W, Conte P, Cameron DA, André F, Arteaga CL, Zarate JP, Chakravartty A, Taran T, Le Gac F, Serra P, O'Shaughnessy J.N Engl J Med. 2022 Mar 10;386(10):942-950. 

3.            Loo SY, Toh LP, Xie WH, Pathak E, Tan W, Ma S, Lee MY, Shatishwaran S, Yeo JZZ, Yuan J, Ho YY, Peh EKL, Muniandy M, Torta F, Chan J, Tan TJ, Sim Y, Tan V, Tan B, Madhukumar P, Yong WS, Ong KW, Wong CY, Tan PH, Yap YS, Deng LW, Dent R, Foo R, Wenk MR, Lee SC, Ho YS, Lim EH, Tam WL. Fatty acid oxidation is a druggable gateway regulating cellular plasticity for driving metastasis in breast cancer. Sci Adv. 2021 Oct 8;7(41):eabh2443. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.abh2443. Epub 2021 Oct 6.

4.            Jhaveri K, Juric D, Yap YS, Cresta S, Layman RM, Duhoux FP, Terret C, Takahashi S, Huober J, Kundamal N, Sheng Q, Balbin A, Ji Y, He W, Crystal A, De Vita S, Curigliano G. A Phase I Study of LSZ102, an Oral Selective Estrogen Receptor Degrader, with or without Ribociclib or Alpelisib, in Patients with Estrogen Receptor-Positive Breast Cancer. Clin Cancer Res. 2021 Nov 1;27(21):5760-5770.

5.            Kong SL, Liu X, Tan SJ, Tai JA, Phua LY, Poh HM, Yeo T, Chua YW, Haw YX, Ling WH, Ng RCH, Tan TJ, Loh KWJ, Tan DS, Ng QS, Ang MK, Toh CK, Lee YF, Lim CT, Lim TKH, Hillmer AM, Yap YS, Lim WT. Complementary Sequential Circulating Tumor Cell (CTC) and Cell-Free Tumor DNA (ctDNA) Profiling Reveals Metastatic Heterogeneity and Genomic Changes in Lung Cancer and Breast Cancer. Front Oncol. 2021 Jul 16;11:698551.

6.            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 KW, Ong MEH, Wong TH; Joint Breast Cancer Registry collaborators. Effects of housing value and medical subsidy on treatment and outcomes of breast cancer patients in Singapore: A retrospective cohort study. Lancet Reg Health West Pac. 2020 Dec 8;6:100065. doi: 10.1016/j.lanwpc.2020.100065. eCollection 2021 Jan.

7.            Seet AOL, Tan AC, Tan TJ, Ng MCH, Tai DWM, Lam JYC, Tan GS, Gogna A, Too CW, Tan BS, Takano A, Lim A, Lim TH, Lim ST, Dent RA, Ang MK, Yap YS, Tan IBH, Choo SP, Toh CK, Lim EH, Farid M, Skanderup AJ, Iyer NG, Lim WT, Tan EH, Lim TKH, Tan DSW. Individualized Molecular Profiling for Allocation to Clinical Trials Singapore Study-An Asian Tertiary Cancer Center Experience. JCO Precis Oncol. 2021 May 18;5:PO.20.00261. doi: 10.1200/PO.20.00261. eCollection 2021.

8.            Zhu G, Guo YA, Ho D, Poon P, Poh ZW, Wong PM, Gan A, Chang MM, Kleftogiannis D, Lau YT, Tay B, Lim WJ, Chua C, Tan TJ, Koo SL, Chong DQ, Yap YS, Tan I, Ng S, Skanderup AJ. Tissue-specific cell-free DNA degradation quantifies circulating tumor DNA burden. Nat Commun. 2021 Apr 13;12(1):2229. doi: 10.1038/s41467-021-22463-y.

9.            Hata T, Nakamura K, Yonemori K, Noguchi E, Watanabe M, Sohn J, Lu YS, Yap YS, Tamura K, Fujiwara Y. Regulatory and Operational Challenges in Conducting Asian International Academic Trial for Expanding the Indications of Cancer Drugs. Clin Transl Sci. 2021 May;14(3):1015-1025. doi: 10.1111/cts.12965. Epub 2021 Mar 1.

10.         Kleftogiannis D, Ho D, Liew JX, Poon PSY, Gan A, Ng RC, Tan BK, Tay KH, Lim SH, Tan GS, Shih CC, Lim TK, Lee AS, Tan IB, Yap YS, Ng SB. Detection of genomic alterations in breast cancer with circulating tumour DNA sequencing. Sci Rep. 2020 Oct 8;10(1):16774. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-72818-6.

11.         Saura C, Oliveira M, Feng YH, Dai MS, Chen SW, Hurvitz SA, Kim SB, Moy B, Delaloge S, Gradishar W, Masuda N, Palacova M, Trudeau ME, Mattson J, Yap YS, Hou MF, De Laurentiis M, Yeh YM, Chang HT, Yau CCT, Wildiers H, Haley B, Fagnani D, Lu YS, Crown J, Lin J, Takahashi M, Takano T, Yamaguchi M, Fujii T, Yao B, Bebchuk J, Keyvanjah K, Bryce R, Brufsky A. Neratinib + Capecitabine vs Lapatinib + Capecitabine in HER2+ Metastatic Breast Cancer Previously Treated with Two or more HER2-Directed Regimens: Phase III NALA Trial. J Clin Onc. 2020; 38(27):3138-3149. 

12.         Yap YS, Chiu J, Ito Y, Ishikawa T, Aruga T, Kim SJ, Toyama T, Saeki T, Saito M, Gounaris I, Su F, Ji Y, Han Y, Gazdoiu M, Masuda N. Ribociclib, a CDK 4/6 inhibitor, plus endocrine therapy in Asian women with advanced breast cancer. Cancer Sci. 2020;111(9):3313-3326.

13.         Lee SC, Shimasaki N, Lim JSJ, Wong AL, Yadav K, Yong WP, Tan LK, Koh LP, Poon MLM, Tan SH, Ow SG, Bharwani L, Yap YS, Foo M, Coustan-Smith E, Sundar R, Tan HL, Chong WQ, Kumarakulasinghe NB, Lieow JLM, Koe PJX, Goh BC, Campana D. Phase I trial of expanded, activated autologous NK cell infusions with trastuzumab in patients with HER2-positive cancers. Clin Cancer Res. 2020 ;26(17):4494-4502. 

14.         Yap YS, Leong MC, Chua YW, Loh KWJ, Lee GE, Lim EH, Dent R, Ng RCH, Lim JH, Singh G, Tan A, Guan G, Wu A, Lee YF, Bhagat AAS, Lim DW. Detection and prognostic relevance of circulating tumour cells (CTCs) in Asian breast cancers using a label-free microfluidic platform. PLoS One. 2019 Sep 25;14(9):e0221305.doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0221305. eCollection 2019.

15.         Yap YS, Lu YS, Tamura K, Lee JE, Ko EY, Park YH, Cao AY, Lin CH, Toi M, Wu J, Lee SC. Insights Into Breast Cancer in the East vs the West: A Review. JAMA Oncol. 2019;5(10):1489-1496.

16.         Lin CH, Yap YS, Lee KH, Im SA, Naito Y, Yeo W, Ueno T, Kwong A, Li H, Huang SM, Leung R, Han W, Tan B, Hu FC, Huang CS, Cheng AL, Lu YS. Contrasting Epidemiology and Clinicopathology of Female Breast Cancer in Asians versus the US Population. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2019;111(12):1298-1306.

17.         Iwata H, Masuda N, Kim SB, Inoue K, Rai Y, Fujita T, Chiu J, Ohtani S, Takahashi M, Miyaki T, Lu YS, Xu B, Yap YS, Bustam A, Yao B, Zhang B, Bryce R, Chan A. Neratinib after trastuzumab-based adjuvant therapy in patients from Asia with early stage HER2-positive breast cancer. Future Oncol. 2019 Jul;15(21):2489-2501.

18.         Saw S, Lim J, Lim SH, Wong M, Lim C, Yap YS. Patterns of relapse after neoadjuvant chemotherapy in breast cancer: implications for surveillance in clinical practice. Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2019 Aug;177(1):197-206.

19.         Yap YS, Ho D, Ng RC, Chan CH, Lee AS, Tan IB, Ng SBH. 27PDetection of genomic alterations in breast cancer (BC) patients with paired plasma and tumour specimens. Ann Oncol. 2019 Feb 1;30(Supplement_1). pii: mdz030.002.

20.         Frayling IM, Mautner VF, van Minkelen R, Kallionpaa RA, Aktaş S, Baralle D, Ben-Shachar S, Callaway A, Cox H, Eccles DM, Ferkal S, LaDuca H, Lázaro C, Rogers MT, Stuenkel AJ, Summerour P, Varan A, Yap YS, Zehou O, Peltonen J, Evans GD, Wolkenstein P, Upadhyaya M. Breast cancer risk in neurofibromatosis type 1 is a function of the type of NF1 gene mutation: a new genotype-phenotype correlation. J Med Genet. 2019 Apr;56(4):209-219.

21.         Khoo BL, Grenci G, Lim JSY, Lim YP, Fong J, Yeap WH, Lim SB, Chua SL, Wong SC, Yap YS, Lee SC, Lim CT, Han J. Low-dose anti-inflammatory combinatorial therapy reduced cancer stem cell formation in patient-derived preclinical models for tumour relapse prevention. Br J Cancer. 2019 Feb;120(4):407-423.

22.         Yap YS, Singh AP, Lim JHC, Ahn JH, Jung KH, Kim J, Dent RA, Ng RCH, Kim SB, Chiang DR. Elucidating therapeutic molecular targets in premenopausal Asian women with recurrent breast cancers npj Breast Cancer. 2018 volume 4, Article number: 19 

23.         Yap YS, Munusamy P, Lim C, Chan CHT, Prawira A, Loke SY, Lim SH, Ong KW, Yong WS, Ng SBH, Tan IBH, Callen DF, Lim JCT, Thike AA, Tan PH, Lee ASG. Breast cancer in women with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1): a comprehensive case series with molecular insights into its aggressive phenotype. Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2018 Oct;171(3):719-735.

24.         Hortobagyi GN, Stemmer SM, Burris HA, Yap YS, Sonke GS, Paluch-Shimon S, Campone M, Petrakova K, Blackwell KL, Winer EP, Janni W, Verma S, Conte P, Arteaga CL, Cameron DA, Mondal S, Su F, Miller M, Elmeliegy M, Germa C, O'Shaughnessy J. Updated results from MONALEESA-2, a phase III trial of first-line ribociclib plus letrozole versus placebo plus letrozole in hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative advanced breast cancer. Ann Oncol. 2018 Jul 1;29(7):1541-1547.

25.         Wong RX, Wong FY, Lim J, Lian WX, Yap YS. Validation of the AJCC 8th prognostic system for breast cancer in an Asian healthcare setting. Breast 2018 Aug;40:38-44

26.         Koczkowska M, Chen Y, Callens T, Gomes A, Sharp A, Johnson S, Hsiao MC, Chen Z, Balasubramanian M, Barnett CP, Becker TA, Ben-Shachar S, Bertola DR, Blakeley JO, Burkitt-Wright EMM, Callaway A, Crenshaw M, Cunha KS, Cunningham M, D'Agostino MD, Dahan K, De Luca A, Destrée A, Dhamija R, Eoli M, Evans DGR, Galvin-Parton P, George-Abraham JK, Gripp KW, Guevara-Campos J, Hanchard NA, Hernández-Chico C, Immken L, Janssens S, Jones KJ, Keena BA, Kochhar A, Liebelt J, Martir-Negron A, Mahoney MJ, Maystadt I, McDougall C, McEntagart M, Mendelsohn N, Miller DT, Mortier G, Morton J, Pappas J, Plotkin SR, Pond D, Rosenbaum K, Rubin K, Russell L, Rutledge LS, Saletti V, Schonberg R, Schreiber A, Seidel M, Siqveland E, Stockton DW, Trevisson E, Ullrich NJ, Upadhyaya M, van Minkelen R, Verhelst H, Wallace MR, Yap YS, Zackai E, Zonana J, Zurcher V, Claes K, Martin Y, Korf BR, Legius E, Messiaen LM. Genotype-Phenotype Correlation in NF1: Evidence for a More Severe Phenotype Associated with Missense Mutations Affecting NF1 Codons 844-848. Am J Hum Genet. 2018 Jan 4;102(1):69-87.

27.         Yap YS, Kwok LL, Syn N, Chay WY, Chia JWK, Tham CK, Wong NS, Lo SK, Dent RA, Tan S, Mok ZY, Koh KX, Toh HC, Koo WH, Loh M, Ng RCH, Choo SP, Soong RCT. Predictors of Hand-Foot Syndrome and Pyridoxine for Prevention of Capecitabine-Induced Hand-Foot Syndrome: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Oncol. 2017 Nov 1;3(11):1538-1545.

28.         Goh JY, Feng M, Wang W, Oguz G, Yatim SMJM, Lee PL, Bao Y, Lim TH, Wang P, Tam WL, Kodahl AR, Lyng MB, Sarma S, Lin SY, Lezhava A, Yap YS, Lim AST, Hoon DSB, Ditzel HJ, Lee SC, Tan EY, Yu Q. Chromosome 1q21.3 amplification is a trackable biomarker and actionable target for breast cancer recurrence. Nat Med. 2017 Nov; 23(11):1319-1330.

29.         Chan CHT, Munusamy P, Loke SY, Koh GL, Wong ESY, Law HY, Yoon CS, Tan MH, Yap YS, Ang P, Lee ASG. Identification of Novel Breast Cancer Risk Loci. Cancer Res. 2017 Oct 1;77(19):5428-5437

30.         Teo J, Mirenska A, Tan M, Lee Y, Oh J, Hong LZ, Wnek R, Yap YS, Shih SJ, S Bhagat AA, Chin CL, Skibinski DA.A preliminary study for the assessment of PD-L1 and PD-L2 on circulating tumor cells by microfluidic-based chipcytometry. Future Sci OA. 2017 Sep 4;3(4):FSO244.

Research Trials