GE Healthcare and National Cancer Centre Singapore have tied up to develop new AI-driven solutions for cancer care.

According to a press statement, their partnership will work on new AI solutions for data analytics and clinical workflows supporting care for cancer patients. It will combine the clinical perspective and deep expertise of NCCS in oncology care, analytics, and translational research with GE Healthcare's imaging and health monitoring capabilities and global reach.

WHY IT MATTERS

About half of the estimated 19 million new cancer cases globally in 2020 were recorded in Asia-Pacific, based on data from the cancer statistics database Globocan. NCCS and GE Healthcare's collaboration intends to leverage AI to drive efficient decision making and more tailored treatment options for specific cancer types in the region. By type, most cases of liver and stomach cancers in the world are reported in the APAC region.

THE LARGER TREND

The NCCS has been involved in a public-private sector partnership that is building a local clinico-genomic database that combines clinical insights and real-world evidence. It is part of a larger infrastructure they are seeking to establish to spur the adoption of personalised healthcare in Singapore.

In 2020, NCCS joined a collaborative project led by Singaporean medical startup Oncoshot which aims to connect the health ecosystem through a clinical trial matching platform.

ON THE RECORD

Elie Chaillot, president and CEO Intercontinental at GE Healthcare, said they are committed to support the NCCS in transforming and advancing cancer care pathways in APAC. "This collaboration is an important step forward in our commitment to enabling precision health through digital technology that simplifies healthcare providers’ decision-making, accelerates care delivery, and has the potential to improve patient outcomes," he said.

Dr Ben Newton, oncology GM at GE Healthcare, sees the partnership as helping enhance precision health practices for cancer care in the region. He remarked: "[s]implifying the way data is managed can help healthcare professionals improve patient outcomes with faster decision making and more precise treatment options".

"Working together, we hope to leverage next-generation digital tools to enhance [the] integration of cross-disciplinary information, augment clinical decision making, and improve outcomes for our patients," commented Iain Tan, research director of the Medical Oncology division at NCCS and principal investigator for the collaboration.