Alexandre Chan, President and Board Member of The Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer (MASCC), shared on LinkedIn:
“In Singapore, over half of patients with cancer use traditional or complementary therapies after diagnosis – often without telling their oncologist. The question is not whether to integrate. It is how to make what is already happening safe, visible, and coordinated.
Our new paper reports a 22-person multi-stakeholder roundtable at the National Cancer Centre Singapore – oncology, palliative medicine, nursing, pharmacy, allied health, TCM, rehabilitation, and research – with colleagues and experts from institutions within Singapore and around the world.
Five priorities: earlier and recurring IO conversations; shared documentation and two-way referral pathways; respect for relational, family-involved decision-making; cost and clinical legitimacy addressed together; and cancer centers as the institutional anchor for credibility and training.
Singapore is very well placed to lead this work – strong cancer centers, culturally embedded traditional practice, and a policy direction that already favors community continuity. The piece nicely captures where integrative oncology in Singapore is today – and the work still ahead. The lessons should travel well to other pluralistic systems around the world.
Well done to Yu Ke and Rose Fok for leading this piece!”
Title: Stakeholder priorities for advancing integrative oncology across a pluralistic health system: a qualitative study from Singapore
Authors: Yu Ke, Rose Wai Yee Fok, Shirlynn Ho, Ryan Ying Cong Tan, Mothi Babu Ramalingam, Miko Chui Mei Thum, Ding Quan Ng, Yee Pin Tan, Emily U. Tong Tan, Wan Qin Chong, Choon Meng Yee, Huang Fang Zheng, Wei Liang William Peh, Seng Kok Ang, Wen Yee Chay, Tira Jing Ying Tan, Patricia Soek Hui Neo, Linda Zhong, Cheng Ean Chee, Soon Thye Lim, Rebecca Dent, Alexandre Chan, Gary Deng