Average Waiting Time for Scans for Suspected Cancer Patients at Government Hospitals

13 Er Dr Lee Bee Wah asked the Minister for Health (a) what is the average waiting time for a patient who is suspected of suffering from cancer to get a scan at the Government hospitals; (b) what is the risk of the cancer metastasising during the waiting period of a week; and (c) what is the total number of PET-CT scan machines in the various Government hospitals.

Mr Gan Kim Yong: At our public hospitals, over 95% of patients with suspected cancers would be given an appointment within three weeks. Depending on his condition, the patient may subsequently require various further investigations, including blood tests, biopsies or imaging investigations, such as X-rays, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Computed Tomography (CT) or Positron Emission Tomography-Computed Tomography (PET-CT) scans.

For patients with suspected cancer, the current waiting time for a CT or MRI scan for initial diagnosis at the National Cancer Centre on the Singapore General Hospital Campus, the National University Hospital and Tan Tock Seng Hospital is within two weeks. For cases deemed urgent by doctors, these scans can be arranged within two to three days.

For PET-CT specifically, there is one machine each at the Singapore General Hospital and the National University Hospital. PET-CT scans are only recommended as first line investigations for certain types of lymphomas, lung, breast and skin cancers. The current waiting time for cancer patients requiring PET-CT scans is within one week.

For most cancers, there is a very low risk of rapid metastases over a three-week time period.