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Commentary
Singapore’s cancer screening gap is widening at a critical moment
Low participation rates, late diagnoses and younger patients point to the urgent need for a rethink.
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In Singapore, cancer screening is recommended through the Healthier SG programme for early detection, focusing on breast, cervical and colorectal cancers.
PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO
Ravindran Kanesvaran
Some recent health statistics paint a troubling picture.
The latest National Population Health Survey from the Ministry of Health shows that just 35.2 per cent of Singapore women aged 50 to 69 go for mammograms to get screened for breast cancer. Cervical and colorectal cancer screening rates are slightly higher at 44.9 per cent each, but still inadequate.
