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Clin Assoc Prof Veronique Tan Kiak Mien

MBBS, M Med (Surgery), MSc, FRCS (Edinburgh)

Senior Consultant

National Cancer Centre Singapore

Specialty: Surgery ＆ Surgical Oncology

Sub-specialties: Oncoplastic Breast Surgery, Breast

Conditions Treated by this Doctor:
Breast Cancer.

Clinical Appointments

Head ＆ Senior Consultant Division of Surgery ＆ Surgical Oncology National Cancer Centre Singapore
Head ＆ Senior Consultant Breast Surgery Singapore General Hospital
Head SingHealth Duke-NUS Breast Centre

Academic Appointments

Duke-NUS Medical School
Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore
SingHealth Residency Program (General Surgery)

Profile

Dr Veronique Tan leads the Department of Breast Surgery at both the Singapore General Hospital and the National Cancer Centre Singapore. She also serves as Head, SingHealth Duke-NUS Breast Centre.

Dr Tan is one of the few breast surgeons in Singapore that is formally trained in breast oncoplastic surgery. Dr Tan believes that the appearance of the breast after cancer removal is important, and that every patient should have a tailored, individualized surgical solution. At present, her practice covers all benign breast conditions, the diagnosis and surgical treatment of symptomatic and screen-detected breast cancer, oncoplastic breast surgery and breast reconstruction.

Active in research and teaching, Dr. Tan is Clinical Associate Professor at the Duke-NUS Medical School. Her research interest is in breast cancer, in particular breast cancer in young women and genetic breast cancers. She also actively explores ways to safely de-escalate surgical therapy for breast cancer, and is PI of a clinical trial investigating the minimally invasive Targeted Axillary Dissection for patients who respond well to neoadjuvant systemic therapy.

Dr. Tan is regularly invited to speak at regional and international conferences where she presents her work and surgical techniques. She takes pride in mentoring the next generation of breast surgical oncologists, both locally and from the region, in oncoplastic surgical techniques and best breast cancer care.

Education

2013   Master of Science (Research); National University of Singapore
2013   Subspecialty Fellowship – Oncoplastic Breast Surgery
2012   Fellow (FRCS); The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh
2008   Master of Medicine (Surgery); National University of Singapore
2004   M.B,B.S; National University of Singapore
2007   Member (MRCS); The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh

Professional Appointments and Committee Memberships

Head & Senior Consultant, Department of Breast Surgery, SGH-NCCS
Clinical Associate Professor, Duke-NUS Medical School
Adjunct Assistant Professor, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine National University of Singapore
Head, SingHealth Duke-NUS Breast Centre
Clinical Faculty, SingHealth Residency Program (General Surgery)
Member, Grant Review Panel for NCCS Cancer Fund (Non-Research)
Director, Tissue Review Committee, National Cancer Centre Singapore
Member, NCCS Cancer Service Line Development Workgroup: Breast Cancer
Member, NCCS Cancer Service Line Development Workgroup: Cancer Genetics
Co-Chairperson, National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (BCAM) Committee

Awards

2022 Singapore Health Service Quality Award (Superstar)
2021 Singapore Health Service Quality Hero Award
2020 Singapore Health Service Quality Award (Star)
2019 Singapore Health Service Quality Award (Star)
2019 SingHealth Excellence Award – Distinguished Young Leader
2019 Singapore Health Service Quality Award (Star)
2018 Singapore Health Service Quality Award (Gold)
2017 Singapore Health Quality Service Award (Silver)
2016 Singapore Medical Journal Recognition Award for Reviewing with Distinction
2015 SingHealth 10 –year Long Service Award
2013 SingHealth Health Manpower Development Plan (HMDP), Oncoplastic Breast Surgery
2009 Best Research Paper Award (Third Prize), Singapore Medical Journal
2009 Best Systematic Review (Surgery), Singapore General Hospital
2008 Best Oral Paper (Third Prize), Singapore General Hospital
2007 SingHealth Service Quality Award
2004 Dean's List, Final Professional Examination M.B,B.S, National University of Singapore
2004 Distinction in Surgery, Final Professional Examination M.B,B.S, National University of Singapore
2000 Distinction in Anatomy, First Professional Examination M.B,B.S, National University of Singapore

Research Interests

Neoadjuvant therapy for breast cancer – Predictive markers; De-escalation of therapy
Breast cancer in young women
Genetic breast cancers
Patient reported outcomes measures (PROMS) of breast cancer surgery

Publications

1. The Association of Obstructive Sleep Apnea with Breast Cancer Incidence and Mortality: A systematic review and Meta-analysis. Yap DWT, Tan NKW, Tan BKJ, Teo YH, Tan VKM, See A, Toh ST. J Breast Cancer 2022 Apr;25(2):e11 https://doi.org/10.4048/jbc.2022.25.e11

2. Predicting the Likelihood of Carrying a BRCA1 or BRCA2 Mutation in Asian Patients With Breast Cancer. Ang BH, Ho WK, Wijaya E, Kwan PY, Ng PS, Yoon SY, Hasan SN, Lim JMC, Hassan T, Tai MC, Allen J, Lee A, Taib NAM, Yip CH, Hartman M, Lim SH, Tan EY, Tan BKT, Tan SM, Tan VKM, Ho PJ, Khng AJ, Dunning AM, Li J, Easton DF, Antoniou AC, Teo SH. J Clin Oncol. 2022 Feb 10:JCO2101647. doi: 10.1200/JCO.21.01647. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 35143328.

3. Atypical Ductal Hyperplasia of the Breast on Core Needle Biopsy: Risk of Malignant Upgrade on Surgical Excision. Bong TSH, Tan JKT, Ho JTS, Tan PH, Lau WS, Tan TM, Wong JSL, Tan VKM, Tan BKT, Madhukumar P, Yong WS, Lim SZ, Wong CY, Ong KW, Sim Y. J Breast Cancer. 2022 Feb;25(1):37-48. doi: 10.4048/jbc.2022.25.e7. PMID: 35199500; PMCID: PMC8876544.

4. HER2 expression, copy number variation and survival outcomes in HER2-low non-metastatic breast cancer: an international multicentre cohort study and TCGA-METABRIC analysis. Tan RSYC, Ong WS, Lee KH, Lim AH, Park S, Park YH, Lin CH, Lu YS, Ono M, Ueno T, Naito Y, Onishi T, Lim GH, Tan SM, Lee HB, Ryu HS, Han W, Tan VKM, Wong FY, Im SA, Tan PH, Chan JY, Yap YS.. BMC Med. 2022 Mar 17;20(1):105. doi: 10.1186/s12916-022-02284-6. PMID: 35296300; PMCID: PMC8928638.

5. Multi‑center evaluation of artificial intelligent imaging and clinical models for predicting neoadjuvant chemotherapy response in breast cancer. Tan HQ, Ong HH, Arjunan MK, Tan TJ, Tan RYC, Lee GSX, Lim EH, Ng R, Yeo RMC, Lim LFWT, Zhang Z, Yang CSH, Wong RX, Ooi GSK, Leong LCH, Tan SM, Madhukumar P, Sim Y, Tan VKM, Yeong J, Wong FY, Cai Y, Nei WL, JBCR, Ai3. Breast Cancer Research and Treatment https://doi.org/10.1007/s10549-022-06521-7

6. The Impact of Statin Use and Breast Cancer Recurrence - A Retrospective Study in Singapore. Sim Y, Lim C, Phyu N, Tan KTB, Chew LST, Wong CY, Madhukumar P, Yong WS, Lim SZ, Hamzah JLB, Tan SY, Chay WY, Wong FY, Tan PH and Tan VKM. Front. Oncol. 12:835320. doi: 10.3389/fonc.2022.835320

7. Impact of Subsidy on the Use of Personalized Medicine in Breast Cancer. Lim JT, Koh JJE, Ho PJ, Liu J, Lim SH, Tan EY, Tan BKT, Tan VKM, Tan SM, Yong WS, Hartman M, Chen C. Value Health Reg Issues. 2022 Jan 29;29:108-115. doi: 10.1016/j.vhri.2021.10.002. Epub ahead of print

8. Polygenic risk scores for prediction of breast cancer risk in Asian populations. Ho WK, Tai MC, Dennis J, Shu X, Li J, Ho PJ, Millwood IY, Lin K, Jee YH, Lee SH, Mavaddat N, Bolla MK, Wang Q, Michailidou K, Long J, Wijaya EA, Hassan T, Rahmat K, Tan VKM, Tan BKT et.al. Genet Med. 2022 Mar; 24(3):586-600. Doi: 10.1016/j.gim.2021.11.008 Epub 2021 Dec 15

9. Germline breast cancer susceptibility genes, tumor characteristics, and survival. Ho PJ, Khng AJ, Loh HW, Ho WK, Yip CH, Mohd-Taib NA, Tan VKM, Tan BK, Tan SM, Tan EY, Lim SH, Jamaris S, Sim Y, Wong FY, Ngeow J, Lim EH, Tai MC, Wijaya EA, Lee SC, Chan CW, Buhari SA, Chan PMY, Chen JJC, Seah JCM, Lee WP, Mok CW, Lim GH, Woo E, Kim SW, Lee JW, Lee MH, Park SK, Dunning AM, Easton DF, Schmidt MK, Teo SH, Li J, Hartman M. Genome Med. 2021 Dec 2;13(1):185. doi: 10.1186/s13073-021-00978-9. PMID: 34857041; PMCID: PMC8638193.

10. Fatty acid oxidation is a druggable gateway regulating cellular plasticity for driving metastasis in breast cancer. Loo AY, Toh LP, Xie W, Pathak E, Tan W, Ma S, Lee MAY, Shatishwaran S, Yeo JZZ, Yuan J, Ho YY, Peh EKL, Muniandy M, Torta F, Chan JJ, Tan TJ, Sim YR, Tan V, Tan B, Madhukumar P, Yong WS, Ong KW, Wong CY, Tan PH, Yap YS, Deng LW, Dent R, Foo R, Weng MR, Lee SC, Ho YS, Lim E, Tam WL. Sci Adv. 2021 Oct 8;7(41): eabh2443. Doi:10.1126/sciadv.abh2443. Epub2021 Oct 6

11. Breast-related extranodal Rosai-Dorfman disease presenting as subcutaneous masses with thick hyperechoic rim, with review of the literature. Choo PZQ, Loh AHL, Selvarajan S, Tan PH, Tan VKM, Yong WS, Leong LCH. Breast J 2021 Dec;27(12):883-886. Doi: 10.1111/tbj. 14286. Epub 2021 Aug 31.

12. Outcomes of Stage I and II Breast Cancer with Nodal Micrometastases Treated with Mastectomy without Axillary Therapy. Lim SZ, Kusumawidjaja G, Mohd Ishak HM, Tan BKT, Tan SY, Hamzah JL, Madhukumar P, Yong WS, Wong CY, Sim Y, Lim GH, Lim SH, Tan SM, Wong FY, Tan VKM. Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2021 Oct; 189(3):837-843. doi: 10.1007/s10549-021-06341-1. Epub 2021 Aug 3.

13. DNA methylation and breast cancer-associated variants. Breast Cancer Research and Treatment. Ho PJ, Rajkumar D, Ivna I, Seeu SO, AJ Khng, BKT Tan, VKM Tan, SH Lim, EY Tan, SM Tan, QT Tan, Z Yan, J Ngeow, Y Sim, P Chan, JJC Chen, CW Chan, SW Tang, M Hartman, J Li. Breast Cancer Res Treat. Aug 2021; 188(3):713-27

14. Genetic differences between benign phyllodes tumors and fibroadenomas revealed through targeted next generation sequencing. CCY Ng,D Nasir, BN Loke, TKY Tay, AA Thike, V Rajasegaran, W Liu, JY Lee, P Guan, AH Lim, KTE C, MA Gudi, P Madhukumar, BKT Tan, VKM Tan, CY Wong, WS Yong, GH Ho, KW Ong, International Fibroepithelial Consortium, GWC Yip, BH Bay, P Tan, BT Teh, PH Tan. Modern Pathology Jul 2021; 34(7):1320-32

15. Development of a microRNA Panel for Classification of Abnormal Mammograms for Breast Cancer. Zou R, Loke SY, Tan VK, Quek ST, Jagmohan P, Tang YC, Madhukumar P, Tan BK, Yong WS, Sim Y, Lim SZ, Png E, Lee SYS, Chan MYP, Ho TSJ, Khoo BKJ, Wong SLJ, Thng CH, Chong BK, Teo YY, Too HP, Hartman M, Tan NC, Tan EY, Lee SC, Zhou L, Lee ASG. Cancers (Basel). 2021 Apr 28; 13(9):2130

16. Characterisation of protein-truncating and missense variants in PALB2 in 15 768 women from Malaysia and Singapore. Ng PS, Boonen Rick ACM, Wijaya Eldarina, Chong CE, Sharma M, Knaup S, Mariapun S, Ho WK, Lim J, Yoon SY, Taib Aishah, See MH, Li J, Lim SH, Tan EY, Tan BKT, Tan SM, Tan VKM, Dam RM, Rahmat K, Yip CH, Carvalho S, Luccarini C, Baynes C, Dunning AM, Antoniou A, Attikum H, Easton DF, Hartman M, Teo SH. Med Genet Apr 2021:1–11

17. Cohort profile: The Singapore Breast Cancer Cohort (SGBCC), a multi-centre breast cancer cohort for evaluation of phenotypic risk factors and genetic markers. Ho PJ, Yeoh YS, Miao H, Lim SH, Tan EY, Tan BKT, Tan VKM, Tan SM, Yong WS, Wong FY, Madhukumar P, Chan CW, Iau PTC, Lee SC, Putti T, Buhari SA, Lee JY, Lim GH, Woo E, Yan Z, Chan PMY, Chen JJC, Lu SQ, Dent R, Lee WP, Mok CW, Seah JCM, Sim X, van Dam RM, Chia KS, Li J, Hartman M. PLoS One 2021 Apr 26; 16(4) e0250102

18. Effects of housing value and medical subsidy on treatment and outcomes of breast cancer patients in Singapore: A retrospective cohort study. Wong FY, Wong RX, Zhou S, Ong WS, Pek PP, Yap YS, Tan BKT, Ngeow JYY, Tan VKM, Sim Y, Tan SM, Lim SH, Madhukumar P, Tan TJY, Loh KWJ, Ong MEH, Wong TH, Joint Breast Cancer Registry. The Lancet Regional Health – Western Pacific. 2020 Dec 8; 6(100065).

19. A study protocol for HEalth-Related quality of life-intervention in survivors of Breast and other cancers experiencing cancer-related fatigue using TraditionAL Chinese Medicine: the HERBAL trial. Yap NY, Loo WS, Zheng HF, Tan QM, Tan TK, Quek LYP, Tan CJ, Toh YL, Ng CC, Ang SK, Tan VKM, Ho HK, Chew L, Loh KWJ, Tan TJY, Chan A. Trials. 2020 Nov 4;21(1):909.

20. Minimizing transmission of COVID-19 while delivering optimal cancer care in a National Cancer Centre. Chiang J, Yang VS, Han S, Zhuang Q, Ooi G, Sin IH, Chua GWY, Tan SY, Chia CS, Tan VK, Neo PSH, Kwek JW, Yap SP, Kanesvaran R, Lim ST, Hwang WYK, Tham C. J Cancer Policy. 2020 Sep; 25:100241.

21. The impact of COVID-19 on and recommendations for breast cancer care: the Singapore experience. Chan JJ, Sim Y, Ow SGW, Lim JSJ, Kusumawidjaja G, Zhuang Q, Wong RX, Wong FY, Tan VKM, Tan TJY. Endocr Relat Cancer. 2020 Sep; 27(9):R307-R327

22. An in-depth exploration of the post-test informational needs of BRCA1 and BRCA2 pathogenic variant carriers in Asia. Yuen J, Fung SM, Sia CL, Venkatramani M, Shaw T, Courtney E, Li ST, Chiang JB, Tan VKM, Tan BKT, Ngeow J. Hereditary Cancer in Clinical Practice 2020 Oct 23; 18:22.

23. Early-onset breast cancer in a woman with a germline mobile element insertion resulting in BRCA2 disruption: a case report. Deuitch N, Li ST, Courtney E, Shaw T, Dent R, Tan V, Yackowski L, Torene R, Berkofsky-Fessler W, Ngeow J. Hum Genome Var. 2020 Aug 25;7:24.

24. Solitary contralateral axillary metastasis in breast cancer: Is it a true distant spread? Wong RX, Kusumawidjaja G, Tan V. Breast J. Jul 2020; 26(7):1493-4

25. Impact of hormonal status on ductal carcinoma in situ of the breast: Outcome and prognostic factors. Tay THC, Ng WY, Ong KW, Wong CY, Tan BKT, Yong WS, Madhukumar P, Tan VKM, Lim SZ, Sim Y Breast J. May 2020; 26: 937– 945.

26. A pilot study comparing Sentimag/Sienna versus standard modality for sentinel lymph node identification in patients with breast cancer. Hamzah JL, Tan BKT, Tan V, Madhukumar P, Lim SZ, Sim YR, Yong WS, Lee ZJ, Ong KW Breast J. May 2020; 26(5): 1074-7

27. Extensive florid lobular carcinoma in situ presenting as a large breast mass requiring a mastectomy. Tison NRR, Leong L, Tan PH, Tan VKM. Breast J. May 2020; 26(5):1025-7

28. Myoepithelial hyperplasia: A rare mimic of breast cancer on 18 F-FDG PET/CT. Tang CYL, Lam WW, Tan PH, Xie W, Peh WM, Tan VK, Leong LCH. Breast J. 2020 Apr;26(4):775-777

29. Impact of deviation from guideline recommended treatment on breast cancer survival in Asia. Ho PJ, Ow SGW, Sim Y, Lim SH, Tan EY, Tan SM, Lee SC, Tan VK, Yap YS, Chay WY, Tan BKT, Wong FY, Li J, Hartman M Sci Rep. 2020 Jan 28:10(1):1330

30. Genomic characterisation of breast fibroepithelial lesions in an international cohort. Md Nasir ND, Ng CCY, Rajasegaran V, Wong SF, Liu W, Ng GXP, Lee JY, Guan P, Lim JQ, Thike AA, Koh VCY, Loke BN, Chang KTE, Gudi MA, Lian DWQ, Madhukumar P, Tan BKT, Tan VKM, Wong CY, Yong WS, Ho GH, Ong KW; International Fibroepithelial Consortium, Tan P, Teh BT, Tan PH. J Pathol. 2019 Dec; 249(4):447-460

31. A Circulating miRNA Signature for Stratification of Breast Lesions among Women with Abnormal Screening Mammograms. Loke SY, Munusamy P, Koh GL, Chan CHT, Madhukumar P, Thung JL, Tan KTB, Ong KW, Yong WS, Sim Y, Oey CL, Lim SZ, Chan MYP, Ho TSJ, Khoo BKJ, Wong SLJ, Thng CH, Chong BK, Tan EY, Tan VK, Lee ASG. Cancers (Basel). 2019 Nov 26;11(12)

32. Fulminant gas-forming breast abscess associated with synergistic Veillonella infection. Hamzah JLB, Tan VKM. Breast J. 2019 Nov;25(6):1263-1265

33. A novel genomic panel as an adjunctive diagnostic tool for the characterization and profiling of breast Fibroepithelial lesions. Sim Y, Ng GXP, Ng CCY, Rajasegaran V, Wong SF, Liu W, Guan P, Nagarajan S, Ng WY, Thike AA, Lim JCT, Nasir NDBM, Tan VKM, Madhukumar P, Yong WS, Wong CY, Tan BKT, Ong KW, Teh BT, Tan PH. BMC Med Genomics. 2019 Oct 23;12(1):142.

34. Behaviour and characteristics of low-grade ductal carcinoma in situ of the breast: literature review and single-centre retrospective series. Koh VCY, Lim JCT, Thike AA, Cheok PY, Thu MMM, Li H, Tan VKM, Ong KW, Tan BKT, Ho GH, Thilagaratnam S, Wong JSL, Wong FY, Ellis IO, Tan PH. Histopathology. 2019 Jun; 74(7):970-987.

35. Intraepidermal malignancy in breast skin: A tale of 2 tumours. Zhao ZT, Tay KY, Agrawal R, Tan VK, Tan YY, Tan PH. Human Pathology: Case Reports. 2018 Nov, 14:33-37

36. Factors influencing patient decision making between simple mastectomy and surgical alternatives. Lee WQ, Tan VK, Choo HM, Ong J, Krishnapriya R, Khong S, Sim YR, Tan BK, Madhukumar P, Yong WS, Ong KW. British J Surgery (Open). Oct 2018 DOI: 10.1002/bjs5.50105

37. Risk management adherence following genetic testing for hereditary cancer syndromes: A Singaporean experience. Courtney E, Chin XW, Yuen J, Li ST, Chen Y, Allen JC Jr, Tan VK, Lim GH, Ngeow J. Familial Cancer. Fam Cancer. 2018 Oct;17(4):621-626.

38. Bilateral breast cancers in an Asian population, and a comparison between synchronous and metachronous tumours. Sim YR, Tan VK, Sidek NA, Chia DK, Tan BK, Madhukumar P, Yong WS, Wong CY, Ong KW. ANZ J Surg. 2018 Oct; 88(10):982-987

39. Surgical and oncological safety of nipple sparing mastectomy in an Asian population. Ng YY, Tan VK, Pek WS, Chang JH, Sim Y, Ong KW, Yong WS, Madhukumar P, Wong CY, Ong YS, Tan BK, Tan BK. Breast Cancer 2019 Mar;(2):165-171 doi: 10.1007/s12282-018-0908-y. Epub 2018 Sep14.

40. Immediate breast reconstruction following nipple-sparing mastectomy in an Asian population: Aesthetic outcomes and mitigating nipple-areolar complex necrosis. Pek WS, Tan BK, Ng YY, Tan VK, Rasheed MZ, Tan BK, Ong KW, Ong YS. Arch Plast Surg. 2018 May; 45(3):229-238