Singapore-based Tamarind Health has announced the launch of its Rare Cancer Centre, bringing together specialist oncologists in rare and complex cancers to make it easier for patients and families to identify and access relevant expertise.
While individual rare cancers affect relatively small numbers of people, collectively they represent a significant proportion of cancer diagnoses and can present particular challenges in diagnosis and care.
Research estimates that around one in five cancer diagnoses is for a rare cancer, while studies have identified delays in obtaining an accurate diagnosis and accessing appropriate specialist expertise and treatment.
Spanning rare and complex cancers such as haematologic malignancies and lymphoma, sarcoma, uncommon skin cancers, neuroendocrine tumours (NET) and brain cancer, the Centre draws on oncologist expertise from across Tamarind Health's oncology network.
The Rare Cancer Centre aims to make that process easier by providing a single destination where patients and caregivers can learn more about rare cancers and identify specialists with relevant experience. Rather than having to research and approach individual practices one by one, they have one point of access to rare cancer specialists, who can draw on Tamarind Health's wider network of expertise across different disciplines where needed.
With Tamarind Health serving patients across Asia, the Rare Cancer Centre will also help patients from across the region seeking specialist cancer care in Singapore, identify the relevant specialists.
