NUH opens digestive health centre to fight rising tide of gastrointestinal diseases

SINGAPORE – National University Hospital (NUH) has officially inaugurated the National University Centre for Digestive Health (NUCD), set up to combat the rising tide of gastrointestinal diseases in Singapore.

According to the Singapore Cancer Registry, gastrointestinal and hepatobiliary cancers account for about 31 per cent of cancers in men and 18 per cent in women.

Based on combined data of men and women, colorectal cancer is the most common cancer, and liver cancer is the fourth-most common cancer among men, said the centre’s director, Adjunct Associate Professor Lee Guan Huei, at the opening on Jan 16.

From 2019 to 2023, colorectal cancer consistently ranked among the top three cancers in males aged 30 and older, and was the most commonly diagnosed cancer in the 40 to 59 age group. It was the second leading cause of cancer deaths in men as well as women during that period.

Aside from cancer, cases of metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease, which are linked to metabolic issues like obesity, high blood sugar and high blood pressure, are also rising here.

“With the ageing population that we now have, in 10 to 15 years’ time, the median age in Singapore will be approaching 50 years old, when the rates of colon cancer will start growing exponentially,” said Prof Lee.

Having the centre means NUH can consolidate its digestive health resources under one roof to focus on enhancing patient care and developing new detection tools and therapies for the anticipated rise in patient numbers, he said.

NUCD’s strategy to reduce the future burden of gastrointestinal cancers includes research to find new biomarkers that can improve screening accuracy and take-up rates. The longer-term aim is to reduce the reliance on colonoscopy – an invasive procedure – as the first-line screening test, he said.

Currently, stool occult blood is used as an initial screening tool for colon cancer, but it is neither very accurate nor popular, he said in his speech at the event officiated by Professor Kenneth Mak, director-general of health at the Ministry of Health.

Since the centre was launched in April 2024, one of its key initiatives has been to administer drugs intravenously to patients in their own homes.

Mr Anson Hoo, 25, who has ulcerative colitis, a type of inflammatory bowel disease, as well as primary sclerosing cholangitis, a rare inflammation of the liver that will worsen progressively, took up the home care option in October 2024 when it was offered to him.

“I agreed to it because... I’m still studying for a diploma (and) can do my work from home. I also don’t have to wait quite long for the bed to be available to go down, and that also solves the bed issue that the hospital might have,” he said.

The decision meant that he no longer had to travel to NUH every two months for the infusions to treat his conditions. Previously, he would typically have to be admitted to hospital for 24 hours to 30 hours each time, or more if he had complications.

His doctor, Dr Bernice Tan, a consultant with NUH’s Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, said NUCD now has a whole team supporting the home biologics programme, which benefits patients and helps to free up hospital beds.

She said the centre is focusing on assessing primary care patients referred by polyclinics or general practitioners to ensure that those at high risk of complications are treated promptly.

For instance, a polyclinic patient identified to be at high risk of severe inflammatory bowel disease will now be directed to the inflammatory bowel disease clinic and seen within two weeks, Dr Tan told the media on Jan 16.

Previously, these patients were first referred to the general gastrointestinal clinic, where waiting times could extend to a few months, she said.