Improving Early Cancer Detection Through Family Medicine in Singapore
11 February 2026
Main Applicant – A/Prof Sarah Bailey, Department of Family Medicine, National University of Singapore (NUS)
About 17,500 people are diagnosed with cancer each year in Singapore. If caught earlier, the treatment is easier, and the patient is more likely to be cured. Finding ways to diagnose cancer sooner will help patients live for longer after their diagnosis. Their treatment will also be less complex, and cost less.
Polyclinics provide a high level of care to many Singaporeans. We want to do this research to find out about the care people receive in polyclinics when they have symptoms of cancer, and before they are diagnosed with cancer. We also want to find out about how patients with cancer are diagnosed, and what healthcare encounters they have in the lead up to diagnosis. We will find out if this is different for certain groups of patients, or if there are any areas where care could be improved, for example if the diagnosis could have been made earlier.
Our results will give doctors evidence and guidance about what to do if the patient has a sign that could be caused by cancer. The results will also be used for service improvement, and to help healthcare organisations to know where changes could be made to help diagnose cancer sooner.