NUH opens digestive health centre to fight rise in gastrointestinal diseases

National University Hospital (NUH) has officially inaugurated the National University Centre for Digestive Health (NUCD), set up to combat the rising tide of gastrointestinal diseases in Singapore.

- Joyce Teo Senior Health Correspondent

According to the Singapore Cancer Registry, gastrointestinal and hepatobiliary cancers account for about 31 per cent of cancers in men and 18 per cent in women.

Based on combined data of men and women, colorectal cancer is the most common cancer, and liver cancer is the fourth-most common cancer among men, said the centre’s director, Adjunct Associate Professor Lee Guan Huei, at the opening on Jan 16.

From 2019 to 2023, colorectal cancer consistently ranked among the top three cancers in males aged 30 and older, and was the most commonly diagnosed cancer in the 40 to 59 age group. It was the second leading cause of cancer deaths in men as well as women during that period.

Aside from cancer, cases of metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease, which are linked to metabolic issues like obesity, high blood sugar and high blood pressure, are also rising here.