Celebrating more than two decades of running for cancer research

With one in four Singaporeans dying of cancer, NCCS steps up to raise people’s awareness and gather funds for cancer research through Run For Hope.

Being Singapore’s only comprehensive cancer centre, the National Cancer Centre Singapore (NCCS) has through the years evolved to become one of the leading regional centres for the research and treatment of cancer. It has become a national cancer centre in 1999, and has since pioneered the one-stop multi-disciplinary approach, where today the doctors also sub-specialise to have an edge in developing a deeper understanding of the various cancer types.

NCCS engages in research on cancers that are common among Asians. NCCS is firmly positioned at the interface of clinical cancer care and oncology research and has three research divisions- Medical Sciences, Cellular and Molecular Research, and Clinical Trials & Epidemiological Sciences.

NCCS has invested in and continually upgrades its research infrastructure to provide centre-wide support for all researchers. This includes a Biohazard containment facility, a GMP grade facility dedicated to the preparation of clinical grade research material and major shared equipment and two vivaria for small animals i.e. a specific pathogenfree facility and a clean holding room, which are NACLAR-compliant (National Advisory Committee for Laboratory Animal Research), AAALAC accredited (Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care), and are licensed and annually inspected by the Agrifood and Veterinary Authority of Singapore.

Contributing to the knowledge frontier

Dr Tan Hiang Khoon, Senior Consultant, Surgical Oncology, NCCS & SGG, says they go beyond just providing clinical service and make a contribution to the knowledge frontier of cancer treatment. He notes that what they do requires a very strong philanthropic contribution to enable them to step into the research realm. “We provided more than 60 projects in the last few years, many of which has gone to win competitive grants in Singapore.”

He adds that the other important contribution from philanthropic contribution is the fact that they sometimes needed to invest in research infrastructures. “The funding may or may not come from national grants. But in cases where we have been able to secure donors who believe in what we’re doing, procuring these new technologies allowed us to leapfrog and really propel our research initiatives.” Tan explains that the NCC Research Fund is used in three ways. First, the seed funding is used to help scientists kick-start worthy and emerging research projects. By so doing, they build a track record and would be able to apply for sustainable competitive grants from government agencies. They also have funds to enhance future research, and lastly, the bridging funds that are used between government grant cycles when the need arises, in order to enable scientists to work with productive momentum.

“We use this funding to enable the continuation of projects which otherwise it has to be terminated. Once the projected is terminated it’s very hard to start them again and I think this funding help us to provide continuity,” adds Tan. One in three Singaporeans suffer of cancer and one in four actually dies of the disease. With such a huge demographic impact that cancer has, it is surprising, if not disappointing, that Singapore lacks enough cancer-related charity and fund raising efforts.

Run for Hope

Tan reckons, however, the real problem is not all about funds, but about raising the people’s awareness of the importance of cancer-related research. In an attempt to solve this gap, the NCCS, together with Four Seasons Hotel Singapore and Regent Singapore, organizes an annual charity event called Run For Hope to raise awareness and much-needed funds for cancer research. Run for Hope was inaugurated in 1993 by Four Seasons Hotel Singapore and Regent Singapore, making it the single largest fund-raising effort in aid of cancer research here. Since 2008, they have been partnering the National Cancer Centre Singapore (NCCS) to raise funds for the NCC Research Fund, providing for an array of basic, translation and clinical research programmes.

The Four Seasons Hotel Group has been running in support of cancer research for 20 years now and to celebrate this milestone, Run for Hope will have a new route in Central Singapore. The event however maintains its tradition as a non-competitive leisure run. In 2012, around 10,000 people joined the event. This year, they are targeting about 15,000. According to Tan, Run for Hope is not organized solely for the amount that will be raised from it. “We are talking about 15,000 runners that will know about what we do. It’s sort of a self-selected audience. We see it as a way to reach out to the community - both public and corporate.

The closing date for registrations is the end of day 31 October, and after that people can still sign up for the event at the Race Pack Collection on the 8th, 9th and 10th of November at Orchard Central.