A new cancer centre will be built at Biopolis, in Buona Vista, and open in stages from next year.

Called the Advanced Medicine Oncology Centre, it will provide imaging, treatment delivery, and clinical informatics technologies for healthcare professionals and researchers.

It is a collaboration between Royal Philips, the Singapore Institute of Advanced Medicine Holdings (SAM), Varian Medical Systems and IBA World- wide.

SAM is investing up to $100 million in the centre, which will also aim to provide a platform for professional training.

"The new Advanced Medicine Oncology Centre aligns with the founding goal of the Singapore Institute of Advanced Medicine Holdings to provide earlier detection and first-time-right diagnosis of cancer, as well as safer, more cost-effective treatment by advancing care enabled through research, technology and education," said Dr Djeng Shih Kien, SAM's founder and chairman.

"I am proud to be leading this milestone with our partners, marking a step forward in the treatment of cancer, which affects much of humanity."

The centre will house a range of Philips' advanced diagnostic imaging systems and clinical informatics.

"This centre will open up additional opportunities for both education and research," said Dr Moataz Karmalawy, general manager of Varian's particle therapy division.

"Singapore is joining an exclusive group of countries that have facilities like these to advance our understanding of not only proton therapy, but also immunotherapy and other cell-based treatments."

In the long term, the centre will also manage diagnostic and therapeutic medical specialities by housing imaging solutions to address cardiovascular and neurological disorders, such as stroke and Alzheimer's disease.

Besides cancer, age-related diseases are a growing concern, with the Asia-Pacific projected to comprise two-thirds of the world's elderly people by 2050.