Clin Assoc Prof Tan Hiang Khoon

Clin A/Prof Tan Hiang Khoon is Chief Executive Officer (Designate) & Deputy CEO (Future Health System) at Singapore General Hospital. He is also Senior Consultant at the National Cancer Centre Singapore & SingHealth Duke-NUS Head & Neck Centre. 

Clin A/Prof Tan received his medical degree from the National University Singapore School of Medicine in 1991 and specialist training in the Department of General Surgery at SGH. 

He joined the Head and Neck Service at NCCS in 2005 and subsequently underwent his Advanced Training in Head and Neck Surgical Oncology in Institute Gustave Roussy, Paris. He is one of the pioneers in the development of endoscopic and robotic Head and Neck surgery in Singapore. 

His research interests are in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma and the use of cancer biomarkers in clinical algorithms. His work in methylation profiling of resection margins was awarded the Best Early Detection Paper in the 7th International Conference on Head and Neck Cancer. Dr Tan was also awarded the Singapore National Youth Award for his role as the founding chairman of Children’s Cancer Foundation (Singapore). He is currently the Academic Vice-Chair (Research) for ACP Surgery.

• Diploma Head and Neck Surgical Oncology, DUCCF, Diplôme Universitaire Chirugies Cervico-faciale, France, 2008 
• Diploma Clinical Cancer Research, DUCCF, Diplôme Universitaire Chirugies Cervico-faciale, France, 2007 
• FAMS, Singapore Medical Council, Singapore, 2004 
• Doctor of Philosophy, Science, University of Bristol, United Kingdom, 2002  
• B. of Medical B. of Surg, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 1991
  

• Director, SingHealth Duke–NUS Global Health Institute (SDGHI) & Group Director, International Collaboration Office (ICO), SingHealth, 2020
• FAMS, Member, 2005 
• ATLS, 1998

• Champion of Change Leader Award, SingHealth Excellence Award, 2014
• Singapore Medical Association Outstanding Research Mentor Award, Wee Hock Boon Society, 2013
• Service with a Heart Award, SingHealth, 2012
• Faculty Appreciation Award 2011 for Most Knowledgeable Faculty, Duke-NUS Medical School, 2011
• Service Quality Partners Award for Outstanding Service and Distinguished Service Champions, 2009 
• Best Early Detection and Prevention Paper, 7th International Conference on Head and Neck Cancer, USA, 2008 
• HMDP Fellowship (Head and Neck Surgical Oncology), 2006
  

My research interest is in the prognostic/risk stratification in head and neck carcinomas. I am particularly interested in the utilization of epigenetic/genetic changes to predict metastatic potential or treatment response. I am also interested in clinical trials that can answer pertinent clinical questions. Furthermore the conduct of these trials confers excellent opportunities to execute correlation translational studies to address gaps of knowledge that often exists between advances in bench top science and bed side experience. Last but not least, I am an early adaptor of new surgical techniques or devices that may improve the surgical outcome of Head and Neck patients.

• Multi mordality assessment of function in head and neck cancer patients post treatment, 2017
• Partnership to Use a Low-Cost, Mobile Flexible Nasopharyngoscope for Head and Neck Cancer Screening in Vietnam, 2016
• The effect of Seprafilm on adhesion formation after thyroidectomy, 2014
• Auto-transplantation of thyroid gland post total thyroidectomy with or without thyrogen Randomised controlled phase III clinical trial for adjuvant chemoradiation and nimotuzimab, 2014
• Randomised study on the use of Harmonic vs Small Jaw energy device in Thyroidectomy, 2012
• Outram Campus Tissue Banking of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Post nasal Space Biopsy, 2012
• Clinicopathological Characterization. Immunohistochemical and Molecular Analysis of Post-irradiation Malignancies - Head and Neck, 2012

• Ong CJ, Shannon NB, Mueller S, Lek SM, Qiu X, Chong FT, Li K, Koh KKN, Tay GCA, Skanthakumar T, Hwang JSG, Lim TKH, Ang MK, Tan DSW, Tan NC, Tan HK, Soo KC, Iyer NG A three gene immunohistochemical panel serves as an adjunct to clinical staging og patients with head and neck cancer. Oncotarget 2017 Jun 19. [Epub ahead of print]
• Jang JH, Tan HK, Iyer NG, Soo KC, Tan NC. Nasopharyngectomy with operating microscope: A case series. Am J Otolaryngol. 2017 Jan-Feb;38(1): 82-86. 
• See A, Iyer G, Tan NC, Soo KC, Teo Constance, Ng Jeremy, Tan HK Distant Metastasis as the Sole Initial Manifestation of Well-Differentiated Thyroid Carcinoma European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology. 2017 Jul; 274(7):2877-2882 
• Tay GC, Iyer NG, Ong WS, Tai D, Ang MK, Ha TC, Soo KC, Tan HK Outcomes and Prognostic Factors of Radiation-Induced and De Novo Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinomas. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2016; May;154(5) 880-7 
• Tian B, Iyer NG, Tan HK, Tay AC, Soo KC, Tan NC. Novel technique of creating a seal for the vacuum-assisted closure system application in complex head and neck wounds. Head Neck 2016 Dec; 38(12):E2523-E2526 
• Wee HE, Azhar R, Tang PY, Teo TH, Iyer NG, Tan HK, Tan NC Diagnostic pitfall: Adenoid cystic carcinoma of the tongue presenting as an isolated hypoglossal nerve palsy, case report and literature review Int J Surg Case Rep. 2016Jun 4: 25:102-105 
• Lim SJ, Iyer NG, Ooi LL, Koong HN, Chung A, Tan HK, Soo KC, Tan NC Metastastectomy for metachronous pulmonary and hepatic metastases from nasopharyngeal carcinoma: Report of 6 cases and review of the literature. Head Neck. 2016; 38(2):37-40 
• Ong W, Zhao R, Lui B, Tan W, Ebrahimi A, Clark JR, Soo KC, Tan NC, Tan HK, Iyer NG Prognostic significance of lymph node density in squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue. Head Neck 2016 Apr;38 Suppl 1:E859-66 
• Chia CS, Ong WS, Li XJ, Soong YL, Chong FT, Tan HK, Soo KC, Qian CN, Teh BT, Iyer NG Serglycin expression: An independent marker of distant metastases in nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Head Neck 2016 Jan; 38(1):21-8
• Iyer NG, Tan DS, Tan VK, Wang W, Hwang J, Tan NC, Sivanandan R, Tan HK, Lim WT, Ang MK, Wee J, Soo KC, Tan EH