Dr Richard Quek

Expertise in Sarcoma

Dr Quek’s specialist interest in sarcoma developed early in his oncology career and led him to pursue advanced training and research in the field.

In 2008, he received a Singapore Government HMDP fellowship to pursue advanced training and research in soft tissue and bone sarcoma at Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center in Boston. His research there led to a second year in the United States, supported by an NMRC fellowship.

After returning to Singapore, Dr Quek founded the Singapore Sarcoma Consortium in 2013 and the Asian Sarcoma Consortium in 2015, bringing clinicians and researchers together to advance sarcoma research and education across the region. His work through regional collaboration has also contributed to research into rare sarcoma subtypes, including a large multi-country study of angiosarcoma.

Dr Quek has been actively involved in cancer research and medical education throughout his career. Before joining Parkway Cancer Centre, he was Deputy Head of the Division of Medical Oncology at National Cancer Centre Singapore from 2013 to 2018 and served as Programme Director of the SingHealth Medical Oncology Senior Residency Programme. He has published more than 70 papers in peer-reviewed journals and continues to be involved in research and education, including through his work with the Asian Sarcoma Consortium.

For Dr Quek, his longstanding commitment to sarcoma comes down to three things: the patient, the complexity of the disease and the multidisciplinary team. Patients continue to motivate his work in what can be a difficult field of cancer care, while the rarity and complexity of sarcomas continue to interest him academically. Equally important is the close working relationship of the sarcoma multidisciplinary team he has built and worked with over many years.

Expertise in Uncommon Skin Cancers: Melanoma

Melanoma is another recognised area of Dr Quek’s clinical expertise. Through multidisciplinary tumour boards, he became increasingly involved in its management at a time when advances in immunotherapy were beginning to transform treatment for advanced melanoma.

Expertise in Lymphoma & Haematologic Malignancies

Lymphoma was one of the areas that first drew Dr Quek towards more specialised oncology practice.

Early in his career, he was particularly motivated by caring for patients with potentially curable lymphomas and the opportunity for treatment to make a significant difference, including for younger patients. Lymphoma remains one of his recognised subspecialty interests today.

Experience in Brain and Central Nervous System Cancers

Dr Quek’s experience with rare and complex cancers also extends to malignancies involving the brain and central nervous system. Earlier in his career at the National Cancer Centre Singapore, he was involved in research examining primary central nervous system lymphoma and treatment outcomes in Asian patients. His research has also included the management of brain metastases in patients with sarcoma.

Many lymphomas are highly treatable, and some can be cured.

Dealing with a rare or complex cancer requires a multidisciplinary team approach. The first step is getting the diagnosis right and staging the cancer accurately. From there, the relevant specialists, including medical oncologists, surgeons and radiation oncologists, come together to determine the most appropriate treatment plan for each patient.

The plan takes into account the type of cancer, its stage and location, as well as the patient’s overall health. Importantly, time matters when dealing with cancer. We act quickly to deliver the best possible care.

Dr Quek also treats a broad range of cancers in addition to the rare cancer areas highlighted on this page. His broader oncology experience includes gastrointestinal, genitourinary, head and neck, thoracic and lung cancers.

To learn more about his broader clinical experience, qualifications and areas of expertise, visit Dr Richard Quek’s full profile.