Kolkata, A Singapore-based cancer treatment centre has seen a nearly 20 per cent rise in the number of patients from India in 2025, with a majority of them seeking care at an advanced stage of the disease when fewer curative options are left.
“We see the entire range. Some patients come with early-stage disease, while others arrive in a desperate situation after treatment has failed, hoping there are still options available. “In many cases, doctors in India have already done whatever is possible. “For example, chemotherapy is often given in cycles. The medicines used also vary considerably. “For early-stage cancers, the aim is cure. Unfortunately, many overseas patients come when the disease is already advanced.
Talking to PTI, Dr Tiam said nearly 60 to 70 per cent of Indian patients who approach the Parkway Cancer Centre have advanced or treatment-resistant cancers, while only about 30 per cent are potentially at a curable stage. Some patients may require six cycles, typically one cycle every 21 days, while others may continue treatment for a much longer period. Drug costs can range from a few hundred Singapore dollars to as much as SGD 14,000 per cycle,” the doctor pointed out.
Because they hope a different medical team may offer another perspective or approach, patients often come here.
Dr Ang Peng Tiam, the medical director and senior consultant medical oncologist at the Parkway Cancer Centre, said many patients travel abroad after exhausting available treatment options in India. The Parkway Cancer Centre receives Indian patients at different stages of the disease, from those with suspected cancer to patients who have already undergone multiple lines of treatment, he said. Dr Tiam said many patients travel abroad after exhausting available treatment options in India. At that stage, treatment is often focused on controlling the disease and maintaining quality of life,” he said. The medical director of Parkway Cancer Centre said advanced cancer should not automatically be considered a hopeless condition, as molecular profiling has changed treatment options for many patients.
