Providing Holistic Care for Advanced and Rare Tumours

2/23/2021 3:38:00 PM |

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The Department of Sarcoma, Peritoneal and Rare Tumours (SPRinT) at the National Cancer Centre Singapore (NCCS) specialises in the management of sarcomas, peritoneal disease, gastrointestinal and advanced intra-abdominal malignancies, and skin cancers.

ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT OF SPRinT

The Department of SPRinT was formed in November 2019 to focus on the treatment and research of rare cancers. The team comprises surgical oncologists, who work closely with medical oncologists and specialists from various sub-specialties, to provide individualised and holistic care for patients.

Besides clinical care, the Department of SPRinT is committed in collaborative research, clinical trials and translational laboratory research. The SPRinT team co-founded the Asian Peritoneal Surface Malignancy Group (APSMG) and hosts the annual Peritoneal Surface Malignancy Course in Singapore.

In addition, the team is active in curriculum planning and clinical teaching for students at the Duke-NUS Medical School and Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine. They also contribute to the teaching and training of surgical residents.

SHARED CARE WITH GPs

Due to the rarity and heterogeneity of sarcomas, peritoneal diseases, gastrointestinal and advanced intraabdominal malignancies, and skin cancers, the SPRinT team works closely with healthcare providers in the community to centralise care for these potentially complex cases. Patients will be seen by a multidisciplinary team of specialists at NCCS who are well-versed in the diseases.

Based on assessment by the general practitioner, cases with the following features may be referred to the Department of SPRinT for further review:

Suspicious lumps that are increasing in size, are painful or more than 5 cm in size
Skin lesions that are rapidly growing in size and/or are bleeding
Unusual symptoms suggestive of abdominal malignancy such as rapid loss of weight, loss of appetite, abdominal distension or change in bowel habits

For GP referrals to the Department of Sarcoma, Peritoneal and Rare Tumours (SPRinT), please contact NCCS at:
Hotline: 6436 8288
Email: [email protected]

Our Services

Gastrointestinal and Peritoneal Surface Malignancies
Previously regarded to be fatal, peritoneal disease can now be successfully treated to achieve good outcomes for patients.

The SPRinT team treats patients with peritoneal disease through highly-specialised procedures such as cytoreductive surgery (CRS) with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC), as well as pressurised intraperitoneal aerosolised chemotherapy (PIPAC).
Sarcomas
Soft tissue sarcomas, which have more than 70 different subtypes, are a group of rare cancers that affect the soft tissues of the body. The SPRinT team collaborates with other specialists to provide comprehensive diagnostic and therapeutic services for this rare disease. They are also one of the few experienced units in Asia to perform multi-visceral resections for all forms of sarcomas.
Skin Cancers
Accurate diagnosis and staging is crucial to ensure good outcomes for the treatment of skin cancer. The SPRinT team works with dermatologists, pathologists and medical oncologists to diagnose and treat various skin malignancies. With advancements in the use of biologics and immunotherapy for skin malignancies, the team constantly combines surgery with novel chemotherapeutics to provide the latest treatments for patients.
Advanced Intra-abdominal Malignancies
The SPRinT team performs complex multivisceral and pelvic exenteration for locally advanced intra-abdominal malignancies. They also collaborate with medical and radiation oncologists to employ useful neo-adjuvant and adjuvant treatments when necessary.
Surgical Palliative Care
Up to 50% of cancer patients present with or develop advanced and metastatic disease not amenable to cure. They can present with a wide variety of abdominal symptoms owing to tumourrelated complications such as pain, bleeding, intestinal obstruction, sepsis and jaundice amongst others. This can substantially decrease their quality of life. Palliative surgery in selected patients has the potential to provide effective relief of symptoms.

At SPRinT, we strongly believe in incorporating palliative concepts in surgical practice. In 2020, we established Singapore's first multidisciplinary palliative intervention team, providing a platform for holistic discussion of the myriad of issues faced by these patients.