Public Version - National Cancer Centre Singapore

Page A2
In Other Words
SALUBRIS
October / November 2008
Taking Cancer Care
to the next level...
The National Cancer Centre
Singapore (NCCS) is known
not just for its expertise in
cancer treatment but as
one of the key centres in
cutting-edge research. Behind
this success is its founding
director Prof Soo Khee Chee,
whose passion for research has
put NCCS on the world stage.
Be it 0730 hours or 1930 hours,
whichever time of the day you
pick, it is not uncommon to see
the lights at his office on the fourth
level of Goh Song Chiang Building.
Not an unearthly hour, yet many of us
would still be in our pyjamas. But not
for Prof Soo Khee Chee. Tranquility for
him is an opportunity to get his paper
work done.
In more than one way, Prof Soo, or just
Prof, as he is affectionately known to
his colleagues, wears many hats but is a
man of few words.
As NCCS Director, he is tasked with
looking into policy matters and research
projects. On his plate is the constant
need to raise funds to support these
research projects. He attends to patients
at his clinic, performs surgery, and also
shares his experience and expertise
with his specialists, as well as teach the
younger doctors. Not only that, he is the
Vice Dean, Clinical and Faculty Affairs,
of the Duke-NUS Graduate Medical
School, and his latest additional role
is his appointment as Assistant CEO of
SingHealth Group overseeing research
and education.
Prof Soo is one of the
pioneers who saw the birth
of NCCS, and today runs it
with clockwork efficiency,
attending to the majority
of public patients. He is the
face of NCCS in the global
fraternity and is one of the
founders of the Asian National
Cancer Centres Network.
A firm believer in research, he is
constantly strategising and encouraging
his team of investigators and clinician
scientists. His prime worry is finding the
funds to keep their projects going. For
the Penang-born professor, his efforts
have not been in vain.
Today, NCCS is an example of what a
premier cancer centre should be. Teams
of specialists from various medical
disciplines work together, supported by
a talented pool of clinician scientists,
focusing on how the patients can benefit
from their discoveries. On hand are
also the latest medical equipment, for
example in radiation technology, so that
they can also leverage on advances in
IT to complement their efforts. NCCS, as
part of its comprehensive service, also
offers patients psycho-social counselling
and carries out a whole menu of support
programmes to help patients journey
through their illness.
Doctors at NCCS also carry out clinical
trials as they have a wide patient base
which is required for any trial to be
effective. This also means that the
doctors get to see the different types of
cancer and hence are better exposed
and experienced in responding to the
patients’ needs.
When asked about how things have
turned out so far, a modest Prof Soo said:
“I am pleasantly surprised that it has
worked out better than we thought.”
There were several issues that were
important for NCCS at the time of its
inception. One was to be able to create
various multi-disciplinary segments so that
sub-specialist care can be given to the
patients in an efficient and timely manner.
“This has turned out well because we are
now able to offer a comprehensive range
of specialist care in each of the major
cancer groups,” he added.