Research support for breast cancer in place

MOH's reply

Research support for breast cancer in place

We thank Ms Quek Soh Mui for her feedback on breast cancer research (Ensure appropriate funding for breast cancer research, 27 June 2019).

We agree that research can enable clinicians to better understand and treat diseases that affect Singaporeans.  Over the past decade, the National Medical Research Council (NMRC) under the Ministry of Health has supported about 40 breast cancer research-related proposals through its funding schemes. In addition, NMRC has provided funding to our national cancer institutions, namely National Cancer Centre Singapore and the National University Cancer Institute Singapore, to build up core research capabilities, common research platforms and manpower, all of which benefit research on different cancers. 

Our national cancer institutions are also involved in international cancer clinical trials, where local patients, including those with breast cancer, can stand to benefit.  Clinicians are given support to keep up with latest research done overseas so that they can learn and apply relevant knowledge in treating their patients.

We will continue to periodically review our funding for different research areas, taking into account factors including local disease prevalence and burden, quality and uniqueness of research proposals and potential translation to practice. 

Tan Say Beng (A/Prof)
Covering Executive Director
National Medical Research Council

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Forum Letter

The Straits Times, 27 June 2019

Ensure appropriate funding for breast cancer research

I read with interest recent articles on cancer research in Singapore (Test helps doctors decide on cancer treatment, June 22; Scientists find virus strains linked to ‘Cantonese cancer’, June 20; and Blood test for gastric cancer could be ready by year end, April 4).

The research is exciting, and hopefully will benefit gastric and nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC) patients one day.

As a breast cancer patient myself, I looked up the Ministry of Health’s National Registry of Diseases Office website out of curiosity. Breast cancer has the highest number of new cases per year in women. Gastric cancer and NPC are ranked seventh and ninth in men, and neither is in the top 10 for women.

In fact, the trend is such that for both gastric cancer and NPC, the numbers have been dropping significantly, whereas for breast cancer, it has been rising rapidly.

We know that only through research will we understand how breast cancer comes about, and try to work out what can be done to stem the rising tide of breast cancer in Singapore.

This is separate from encouraging people to go for screening or mammograms for early detection.

Are MOH’s research funding bodies giving, at the very least, the same level of support for breast cancer laboratory research, as for the less common gastric cancer and NPC? There are many breast cancer patients in Singapore who certainly hope so, for the sake of their daughters, granddaughters and beyond.

Quek Soh Mui