SINGAPORE HAS A STRONG REPUTATION FOR ADVANCED COLORECTAL CANCER TREATMENTS, THANKS TO THE EFFORTS OF PIONEERING SPECIALISTS DURING THE FORMATIVE YEARS OF THIS FIELD.

Colorectal cancer is the number one cancer in Singapore. It arises from the inner lining of the large intestine to include the entire colon and the rectum, which are between the small intestine and the anus.

Because the cancer is so prevalent, screening is strongly advised for anyone who experiences abnormal bowel symptoms suddenly, like blood in stools, unusual bowel movement, abdominal pain, abdominal bloating and so on. If detected and treated early, colorectal cancer has very good treatment outcomes. With advanced medical techniques, surgical procedures have also become much more precise, reducing downtime and aiding faster recovery.

Seow-Choen Colorectal Centre is an innovative medical practice that specialises in coloproctological conditions, with a particular focus on colorectal cancer.

The practice is headed by accomplished Medical Director/Senior Consultant, Dr Francis Seow-Choen, who has put Singapore on the world map as a leading medical centre for coloproctology.

Dr Seow-Choen helped establish the first colorectal surgery department in Asia at Singapore General Hospital in the late 80s – immediately after returning from his subspecialisation training at St. Mark’s Hospital in London. Since then, he has been at the helm of many related organisations, including the Asian Federation of Coloproctology, the Society of Colorectal Surgeons of Singapore, and the Eurasian (European-Asian) Colorectal Technology Association.

For his achievements in coloproctology, he was conferred the Excellence for Singapore Award in 2000.

In his private practice, Dr Seow-Choen is particularly interested in advancing laparoscopic or robotic methods of surgery as they can bring great improvements to the treatment of colorectal cancer – in limiting the length of surgical wounds, recovery time and hospitalisation stay, and in the right situations, better treatment outcomes.