About 1 in 4 people in Singapore will get diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime. It is a sobering statistic that has increased steadily over the years, according to the latest data from the Singapore Cancer Registry. The silver lining is that, with early detection and advances in cancer treatments, there is also a decrease in cancer mortality rates across the same period.
Cancer treatment in Singapore can be costly, but a significant portion of the cost depends on whether you will need to be warded and your choice of hospital and ward. There are three main types of cancer treatments: surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy, and each comes with associated costs. The Ministry of Health provides a comprehensive list of bills and fee benchmarks across several hospitals in Singapore, allowing us to compare medical treatments for both public and private hospitals. The most current data is based on transacted bills for the whole of 2023.
Surgery
Since there are many types of cancers, the focus of this list will just be on the four most detected cancers in Singapore: breast cancer, prostate cancer, colorectal cancer and lung cancer, and the costs of the most common surgery procedures for each (indicated by the Table of Surgical Procedures (TOSP) code) as well as the ward charges for inpatient stay of more than 24 hours.
The ward charges are broadly categorised according to private hospitals, unsubsidised wards at public hospitals (Ward A and B1), and subsidised wards at public hospitals (Ward B2 and C).
Breast Cancer (SA827B)
| Type Of Hospital/Ward | Median Cost | Typical Bill Range |
| Private | $31.099 | $27,054 – $36,106 |
| Public (Ward B1) | $12,300 | $11,111 – $12,675 |
| Public (Ward C) | $3,058 | $2,059 – $4,278 |
Prostate Cancer (SH830P)
| Type Of Hospital/Ward | Median Cost | Typical Bill Range |
| Private | $67,809 | $58,607 – $71,599 |
| Public (Ward B1) | $27,155 | $25,409 – $27,581 |
| Public (Ward C) | $8,850 | $7,631 – $11,140 |
Colorectal Cancer (SF803C)
| Type Of Hospital/Ward | Median Cost | Typical Bill Range |
| Private | $55,865 | $44,062 – $66,023 |
| Public (Ward B1) | $21,832 | $18,982 – $23,566 |
| Public (Ward C) | $6,288 | $4,643 – $8,819 |
Lung Cancer (E71A)
| Type Of Hospital/Ward | Median Cost | Typical Bill Range |
| Private | $31,186 | $21,740 – $50,033 |
| Public (Ward B1) | $9,402 | $5,806 – $15,173 |
| Public (Ward C) | $3,253 | $1,767 – $5,568 |
Read Also: Does A Standalone Cancer Insurance Plan Make Sense?
Chemotherapy
Depending on the type of cancer and how far it has spread, chemotherapy is often prescribed to slow down the rate of cancer growth and to shrink or eliminate the cancer.
Chemotherapy uses medications commonly administered via oral tablets, injections directly into the veins, or via infusion into the veins over a couple of hours.
Most chemotherapy treatments do not require overnight stays. Here are the day surgery rates for private and public hospitals. Public hospital rates are subsidised.
| Type Of Hospital | Median Cost | Typical Bill Range |
| Private | $12,766 | $10,544 – $14,289 |
| Public (Subsidised) | $485 | $328 – $565 |
Should there be a need for overnight stays, here are the public hospital inpatient fees according to ward type.
| Type Of Ward | Median Cost | Typical Bill Range |
| Ward A | $2,058 | $1,597 – $3,198 |
| Ward B1 | $1,128 | $876 – $1,883 |
| Ward B2 | $774 | $555 – $1,216 |
| Ward C | $930 | $468 – $2,455 |
Radiotherapy
Radiation therapy, or radiotherapy, uses highly targeted ionising radiation to damage the DNA of cancer cells, preventing them from multiplying. Radiotherapy is often conducted over multiple sessions and treatment is highly personalised.
The National Cancer Centre’s Division of Radiation Oncology is the first and largest radiotherapy centre in Singapore with more than 20 radiation oncologists.
| Type Of Hospital | Median Cost | Typical Bill Range |
| National Cancer Centre | $4,561 | $4,541 – $9,092 |
Coverage For Cancer Treatments in Singapore
In Singapore, MediShield Life covers treatments for cancer, including outpatient treatment for several treatments on the Cancer Drug List as well as radiotherapy for cancer. The MediShield Life claim limit and MediSave withdrawal limit per month is determined by the type of drug.
Read Also: Beginner’s Guide To Understanding How MediShield Life Works
Top Image Photo by National Cancer Institute on Unsplash
