New Rare Cancer Centre brings together expertise in rare and complex cancers, giving patients, families and referring physicians a single point of access to specialist care.
SINGAPORE, Sept. 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Marking Rare Cancer Day, Tamarind Health today announced the launch of its Rare Cancer Centre, bringing together specialist oncologists in rare and complex cancers to make it easier for patients and families to identify and access relevant expertise. While individual rare cancers affect relatively small numbers of people, collectively they represent a significant proportion of cancer diagnoses and can present particular challenges in diagnosis and care.
Research estimates that around one in five cancer diagnoses is for a rare cancer[1], while studies have identified delays in obtaining an accurate diagnosis and accessing appropriate specialist expertise and treatment[2].
Spanning rare and complex cancers such as haematologic malignancies and lymphoma, sarcoma, uncommon skin cancers, neuroendocrine tumours (NET) and brain cancer, the Centre draws on oncologist expertise from across Tamarind Health’s oncology network.
The Rare Cancer Centre aims to make that process easier by providing a single destination where patients and caregivers can learn more about rare cancers and identify specialists with relevant experience. Rather than having to research and approach individual practices one by one, they have one point of access to rare cancer specialists, who can draw on Tamarind Health’s wider network of expertise across different disciplines where needed.
Lim Eng Seng, Group CEO of Tamarind Health, said: “The Rare Cancer Centre reflects what Tamarind Health was built to do, bring together specialist expertise from across our network around the needs of patients. We have significant depth of experience across different rare cancers, and the Centre builds on that strength by giving patients a clearer route to the specialist expertise that can help inform a personalised treatment, as they navigate what can be a complex cancer journey.”
Dr Kevin Tay, Senior Consultant Medical Oncologist of OncoCare said, “Rare cancers can be among the most challenging to diagnose and treat, and patients can often feel alone when facing a cancer that few people have experience with. By bringing rare cancer specialists together, we can draw on our collective experience and wider multidisciplinary network to help establish the diagnosis and determine an appropriate treatment approach, so they know they are not navigating that journey alone.”
Specialists currently represented within the Rare Cancer Centre include Dr Akhil Chopra, Dr Colin Phipps Diong, Dr Foo Kian Fong, Dr Angela Pang, Dr Richard Quek, Dr Tanujaa Rajasekaran, Dr Kevin Tay, Dr Wong Siew Wei and Dr Valerie Yang.
With Tamarind Health serving patients across Asia, the Rare Cancer Centre will also help patients from across the region seeking specialist cancer care in Singapore, identify the relevant specialists.
For referring physicians, the Centre provides a dedicated point of access to identify specialists with relevant experience and discuss or refer complex cases. It will also support regional physician education, with Dr Richard Quek, Dr Angela Pang and Dr Valerie Yang leading a webinar sharing their specialist knowledge and experience on sarcoma for healthcare professionals on 3 October. More information and registration are available here.
The Tamarind Health Rare Cancer Centre can be accessed at https://tamarindhealth.com/rare-cancer
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[1] DeSantis, C.E., Kramer, J.L. & Jemal, A. (2017). The burden of rare cancers in the United States.CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, 67(4), 261–272. DOI: 10.3322/caac.21400. |
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[2] Ray-Coquard, I., Pujade-Lauraine, E., Le Cesne, A., et al. (2017). Improving treatment results with reference centres for rare cancers: where do we stand?European Journal of Cancer, 77, 90–98. DOI: 10.1016/j.ejca.2017.02.006. |
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About Tamarind Health
Tamarind Health is an integrated oncology-focused healthcare group bringing together established cancer care practices and specialists across Asia. Headquartered in Singapore, its doctor-led network spans the cancer care journey, from diagnostics and treatment to survivorship and well-being.
With a purpose to set new standards in healthcare for better patient outcomes, Tamarind Health is building a connected platform for oncology and related services across six markets: Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Mainland China. Its network includes OncoCare, TalkMed, Luma Women’s Imaging Centre, Solis Breast Care & Surgery Centre, Hong Kong Women’s Imaging Centre, Tamarind Specialists Centre, Can-Care and Novena Heart Centre.
For more information, visit: https://tamarindhealth.com
For further information, please contact:
Tamarind Health
Hien Lane, Senior Vice President, Marketing
[email protected]
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SOURCE Tamarind Health
