Cancer Databases & Tissue Banks

The Cancer Databases and Tissue Banks Platform aims to drive innovation and collaboration by providing centralised and secure access to high-quality cancer specimens and multi-modal data to accelerate high-impact translational cancer research discoveries that lead to improved patient outcomes in Singapore. Our platform is anchored by the National Cancer Centre Singapore (NCCS), Singapore Health Services (SHS), National University Cancer Institute, Singapore (NCIS), National University Health System (NUHS), and Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH).

About the STCC Data Resource

Adhere to international standards and certification

Our partner tissue repositories have received the Canadian Tissue Repository Network (CTRNet) certification and are aligned with the International Society for Biological and Environmental Repositories (ISBER) biobanking standards. Our repositories also adhere to frameworks like the 5 Safes Framework for secure data access, OMOP clinical data standards and FAIR principles for data interoperability, and GA4GH genomic data standards for responsible sharing of genomic information.

Robust governance framework

User access is governed by a robust framework that complies with the Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA), Human Biomedical Research Act (HBRA), Human Tissue Framework (HTF) and HealthTech Instruction Manual - Data Management (HIM-DM), ensuring patient data privacy, protection, and security.

Our Capabilities

STCC Research Warehouse

The STCC Research Warehouse is a centralised data repository that houses the STCC Cancer Data Commons (CDC), with linkages to specimen and molecular data. The CDC consists of de-identified data from the cancer registries. This platform is developed in partnership with SYNAPXE and adheres to rigorous data governance and security protocols. The platform employs federated analytics and privacy-preserving technologies, enabling secure local and international research collaborations.

Schematic diagram of the STCC Research Warehouse

STCC Cancer Data Commons (CDC)

Housed within the STCC Research Warehouse, the STCC CDC is a centralised data resource comprising oncology clinical records from the three healthcare clusters — SHS, NUHS, and NHG — including their major cancer centres (NCCS, NCIS, and TTSH), between 2010 to 2024. This is securely linked to corresponding biospecimen and multi-omic datasets, offering unparalleled opportunities for in-depth translational cancer research.

On-platform data analyses can be performed on the:

1.      STCC CDC: Supports direct analyses of data in the STCC CDC. Access to the STCC CDC is governed by the STCC Specimen and Data Access Committee (SDAC).

2.      STCC Research Data Hub (RDH): Supports analyses of data in the STCC CDC linked with multi-modal research data. Access to the STCC RDH is governed by the STCC SDAC.

3.      MOH TRUST: Supports analyses of data in the STCC CDC linked with data in the MOH TRUST database. Data access to the MOH TRUST platform is subject to approval from the TRUST Data Access Committee (DAC).

Bio Repositories Catalogue

A publicly accessible, comprehensive listing of high-quality oncology biospecimens from tissue repositories at NCCS, NUHS, TTSH, and the Singapore Integrated Network of Biorepositories (SINB) is hosted on the Singapore’s National Clinical Trials (CTSG) Portal.

Overview of the request process

STCC Centralised Catalogue

A centralised listing of specimens with 127 annotated data fields, such as tumour types, patient demographics, and treatment histories, from tissue repositories and cancer registries at NCCS, NUHS, TTSH, for public healthcare institutional users. It streamlines cohort selection and study design, accelerating the translation of research findings into clinical applications.

The STCC Centralised Catalogue is accessible via institutional login only. Access it here.

STCC Research Data Hub

The RDH is a molecular and omics data repository and analytics platform developed through a collaboration between the Translational Research Integration & Support platform - one of STCC's five core platforms - and the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) Bioinformatics Institute (BII).

The RDH serves as a central repository for molecular data generated through STCC research projects and collaborations, supporting integrated data management and advanced analytics for translational cancer research.

Our Initiatives

STCC OneCANCER

The STCC OneCANCER initiative fosters collaboration among cancer research groups across Singapore, by facilitating access to biospecimens and data generated from diverse research projects. Data from our partnering research groups, including the Singapore Lymphoma Study, TargEted TheRapy for blooD Cancer (TETRAD), Colorectal cancer Subtype-specific research informs Research, Insights, Phenotypes & Treatments (Coloscript) and Cancer Liquid Biopsies for Real-time diagnostics and early intervention (CaLiBRe), will be accessible through the STCC Research Warehouse.

STCC Australasian Cancer Alliance (ACA)

 The ACA initiative aims to foster cross-border translational cancer research by streamlining access to cancer biospecimens and associated data across leading cancer biorepositories within the Australasian region. Our partners include the Victorian Cancer Biobank in Australia and the National Health Research Institutes in Taiwan.