The groundbreaking ceremony for National Cancer Centre Singapore's (NCCS) new building was held today. Located on SGH Campus, the building is targeted to be ready by 2022.

At the ceremony, Minister for Health Gan Kim Yong cited that "Between 2011 and 2015, about 35 Singapore residents were diagnosed with cancer every day, and 15 passed away from cancer."

"The ground-breaking of the new NCCS today marks yet another important milestone for cancer care in Singapore and the region."

To serve the rising cancer incidence in Singapore, the new NCCS building will have four times more capacity than the current one. In addition, the building is designed to improve patient flow and experience.

"In planning for the new building, our focus is on providing person-centred care that addresses all the needs of cancer patients and their family members," said Professor Soo Khee Chee, Director of NCCS.

Each disease group, such as breast cancer or colorectal cancer, will have its own dedicated space with clinical, research and education facilities in close proximity. Patients and caregivers will have related services within easy reach. For example, The Breast Imaging Room will be located near the Breast Clinic. This also means better operational efficiency and easier collaboration for staff.

"Our priority is to provide our patients with easy access to the best care possible as we fight cancer together."
- Prof Soo Khee Chee, Director of NCCS

The 24-storey building at Outram Road will feature a Mental Wellness Clinic that will provide services such as counseling, physiotherapy and support groups. A Patients' Resource Centre will provide a place for patients and caregivers to learn more about cancer care and treatment.

A new Proton Therapy Centre that has been planned for about ten years will find home in the building's basement. It will provide an advanced type of cancer treatment that can target cancer with a much higher precision and fewer side effects compared to standard radiotherapy. NCCS will conduct studies on its applications, risks and benefits.

New facilities that support clinical trials in immunotherapy will also be built, providing expanded capacity for research on this new key treatment to fight cancer.

Prof Soo said, "Our priority is to provide our patients with easy access to the best care possible as we fight cancer together. We are very grateful to major donors such as Mr Goh Cheng Liang for sharing our cause and supporting us with their generosity to advance cancer care and research."

The new NCCS building is part of the SGH Campus Master Plan. Find out more at www.sghcampusmasterplan.sg