National Cancer Centre's Ravindran Kanesvaran on future of cancer care, treatment costs
7 April 2025
Measures to strengthen clinical capacity, accelerate innovation in treatment, and ensure more equitable access as Singapore adapts to changing cancer demographics and the growing role of advanced therapies.
Report on Singapore’s efforts to advance cancer care by training healthcare staff overseas and studying cell therapies. Dr Ravindran Kanesvaran from NCCS highlighted a sharp rise in cancer among those aged 50 and below, prompting tailored programmes for seniors and a push to improve access to costly emerging treatments through multi-sector collaboration.
He also highlighted a 90% increase in cancer cases among those aged 50 and below from 1988–1992 to 2018–2022, with a 112% increase among females. He attributed the trend to lifestyle, environmental, and genetic factors, noting that many causes remain unclear.
Prof Ravindran Kanesvaran is also Co-Director of Singapore Translational Cancer Consortium (STCC).